Dyckia magnifica and Dyckia delicata

Dyckia delicata bloom.

This delicata flower stems are just a bit branched but they can be just one spike with no branches.

All the other Dyckias gave a break on their mood for flowering and I have just Dyckia magnifica and Dyckia delicata in full bloom. Of course I gave a help here maintaining a flower pot full of the otheres one..I just removed all the other species flowers to keep just  delicata and magnifica at full bloo and altogether. As gods wished there were just  a very few others.

Magnifica flowers are so minute it would be unthinkable to hand pollinate  half the flowers of a  a small portion of the flowers spike.

Our pollinator agents are super effective at this time as we are everyday touching the 40 degrees C.

The main flower axis base  of the magnifica will maintain self as there the flowers opened first.

If you have eyes of an eagle you will see some of our native bees working here.

Dyckia magnifica bloom

See the delicata bloom at the bottom right corner.

Bees are feasting.

some sacrifice was needed, I mean some other blooms were taken to my crystal vase in my main room. That is a good and fair cause. Dyckia magnifica pot weight some 60 kilograms and the delicatas one is not light weight for them to be removed to a far away place. Besides when summer is at full nothing is far away enough for our  avid pollinators.

What do I search in this cross?

- The new and the beautiful and also maintain the resistance to cold as both plants comes from very cold areas in wilderness. Both are mountain dwellers and South Brazil native to.

Light is crucial to these plants as for all no doubt but as Dyckias and South originated they have to take all from the Sun as possible.

In winter we have short days and most are cloudy and the plants have to do their best to cope with this.

These plants can´t tolerate continuous and endless  summers. They need short days in winter.

- Both these plants bear the very same kind of rosettes and this will be preserved but Dyckia crossings are always surprising. 

Above we see a close up of some Dyckia delicata flowers and the destructive pollinators.
These wild bees are destructive to the flowers but they pollinate flowers very effectively.
They take a short cut to their goal and make a hole in the base of the flowers.
But this time  of the year even flies are good pollinators as well as hummingbirds and  also a Brazilian version of the African Sunbird.

Above the never seen before close up of some Dyckia magnifica flowers. These are more or less paired two by two along the thin branches of the flower stem and also they hang down. Note that the flower presents the female part to the world, openly, we can see it out from the protection of the petals.
This means a lot: The plant rely on the wind too to have its flowers to be pollinated!
This is a fantastic  revelation and this explains the myriad of tiny countless flowers.
The plant grows atop of a mountain and it is exposed to the winds also this explain all the
shaping of the flowers stems and the arching down of the thin branches and also the thin branches themselves. Wind!
Another point: As a mountain dweller the plant must cope with constant fog and water drenching by the mist of the night and the clouds themselves hence the flowers being hanging downward.
This Dyckia is one of the most interesting of all and it turns possible many, many findings and observations that can lead us all to a better  understanding of this magnificent genus.
Dyckias are very badly (Yes, this is the word as people seems to be worried to notoriety than the plant itself.)and roughly studied, observed, described in an overall view on what we have till now.

The whole genus commands and demands a total scientific recall.

Just one species, Dyckia magnifica may be the source of years of study.
We need field studies and true ones. Not just reason for obtaining money from
the organs that foment research of our wild native plants. One can not follow and understand a wild plant while living in an air conditioned loft in a big city. Sometimes this big city is half a day jet plane journey apart from the plant home. One must camp and live there with the plant. Observing is not sporadically excursions to the wilderness. This is leisure!This is a glimpse! We have more than we can accept of  glimpsed Dyckias!!!
Knowing wild plants is a job for the fit, healthy and young soul as no swollen bellied mid aged gray haired guy can perform. Incursions to the wilderness are leisure excursions and good for the body and mind but the plant and science gets nothing or as commonly seen  on Dyckias much less than nothing with this.
We cannot trust on a glimpsed view based description of a species as this is assume ourselves as idiots...
Dyckias are a kind of last resort of association a name to a superior  plant ( leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds..)...