Dyckias in Campo Alegre, Santa Catarina, Brazil

This small and beautiful tree is not dead but in winter dormancy...

 Nature has more than we suspect it has and more than we understand certainly...

Isn´t it dazzling beautiful?

 

 

 

 

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Dyckia brevifolia spot in nature, a new visit to it...

These images say a thousand words each....

Subida, Apiúna, Santa Catarina Brazil

 

 

 

Those are Itajaí-açu river waters...

 

Dyckia hb Bill Paylen ......

Dyckia hb Bill Paylen

 

Bill Bker himself  named this plant after his friend and plant club colleague Bill Paylen.

A friendship to eternity..

 

 

Dyckia reitzii

 

 

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Dyckia goehringii

 

 

 

 

 

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Dyckia tuberosa

Dyckia tuberosa

 

...a heavily scaled and white plant.

 

 

 

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Dyckia reitzii blooms

The flowers bracteas play a very important role here protecting the 

flowers from the strong  top mountains winds.

In nature nothing seems to be for the sake of beauty itself.

Every detail has a reason to exist and a role to fulfill.

 

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Two stunning beauties, what about?

Dyckia dawsonii

This is The plant people usually take as  the type one. It is a plant from Bill Baker collection.

 Dyckia discoisdes
It is still under description and native to Santa Catarina Southwest uphills.

 

The plant to the left, Dyckia discoides is emitting its first flower stalk but Dyckia dawsonii is still too young for flowers.  the thought of a hybrid here just entices my dreams...

 

 

Isn´t it lovely? Dyckia reitzii rubra X Dyckia sp Campo Alegre-SC

Look at those spines. 

Notice, the plant is just a young one and has much to show ahead.

 

 

 

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Dyckia hb Alegria (joy) by Robison Lopes.

Alegria is  a rarity in many ways.....

Alegria is the Portuguese word for Joy. Yes, we speak Portuguese in Brazil.

alegria is  Dyckia lindelvaldeae and Dyckia tuberosa marriage imposed by our young  botanist Robson Lopes.  Seeds were made into these gorgeous plants  in Joinville, Santa Catarina... the land I call it Home.

 

 

Dyckia reitzii...the treasure from up in the mountains

First flowers of this season. 

It´s August (almost 30th, my anniversary) and something alerted  them about the Spring.

I love Dyckia retzii flowers for they are unique among Dyckias.

See them, understand them.

Te flower stalks are strong and short to cope with the winds of the canyons and mountain tops.

Flowers are protected by the extra long flower bracteas.

The stalk bracteas are close together inserting many nodes to the flower stalk.

This makes them extra strong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dyckia hab Bill Paylen...and I love it!

Dyckia hb Bill Paylen, a Bill Baker´s master piece.

Here Bill  says I care about you to Bill Paylen his friend a plant club colleague.

The plant in spite of being  stunning beautiful got even more stunning and beautiful...It was seasoned by friendship. 

This plant was given to me by Steve Balls and it is one of the most precious piece of art in my garden.

Here we see it dry and wet....

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Dyckia hb Brittle Star by Bill Baker

Could it be any prettier? 
Dyckias are true gems among all bromeliads...they are  amazing...
They do not perish for having bloomed and get even better with time..
They are just like diamonds, forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW6ZUfbqZtU

Here  goes a toast to my friends Steve and Mary, Steven and Phyllis in LA....

Land of dreams, science, plants and friends ... California.

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