Dyckia unguiformis and a bit of its history

A spectacular plant, native to Bahia in Brazil and found by Herr  Karl Heinz Tank, a German friend of mine.

He found the plants when they were enduring a severe dry season and were in deep suffering.

These two first pictures shows the plant in Germany.

The first one is a plant now under  cultivation and initiating its  "crown opening"

Karls send me four plants to allow me observation and further description for we need flowers.
Karl choose the name unguiformis meaning clawn like or with the shape of a folded bird clawn.

This picture here below shows the very same plant  above  when it just  got in  Karl´s home in Germany, in the German  district of Brandenburg.

Bellow  plants under  cultivation here in Santa Catarina Brazil.

This plant, possibly a Dyckia secunda related, shows a very very interesting behavior .

When this plant came to me  it was a very suffered one. I had endured a long period without any water in nature and it was folded and did looked as a closed bird clawn hence its proposed scientific name: Dyckia unguiformis.

Now guess what? It was a white plant!!!

Now it is a plant that present many many narrow white lines and it is unfolded for it has regained its  happy looks. This is a very weird and clever behavior. When the plant shrinks due to dehydration the white lines get together and the plant assumes the white appearance which is even whiter on the under surface of its leaves. After getting regular shares of water the crown unfolds and the leaves beguin to fill up with water and separating its many white lines... it turns  green and well lined.

Why this plant acts this way?
This is the way it found to protect itself from  heat and extreme Sun exposition during a period when it is  weak due to dehydration.

Clever, isn´t it?

Dyckias, the do not cease to amaze me.

The more I come to know the more I realize I need to know....

As we can clear see here the plant wants to bloom.

Let us see it.

Here I must state and say to Karls: DANKE

Danke, dass du mein guter Freund Karl. Sie mehr allein und selbst gemacht, als viele zusammen und ich schulde Ihnen meinen Dank und mein Respekt. 

Thank you my good friend Karl. You made  more alone and by yourself than many together and I owe you my gratitude and all my respect.

Dyckia unguiformis

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