Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

Use this forum to discuss matters relating to xeric Bromeliads such as Hechtia, Dyckia, Puya, Tillandsia and related species. This is where one posts unknown plant photos for ID help.
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DesertDweller
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Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

#1

Post by DesertDweller »

I've had one of these kicking around in a pot for a while, not sure where to put it. Finally settled on a spot and, right before I put it in, snapped up another variety while shopping Agaves at a nursery. Put the first two in the ground and liked how it looked, so when I spotted (by pure chance) two more varieties at yet another nursery (where, again, I struck out on the Agave front) I decided to make this into a 4-piece. :U

I think all but one had an actual label on it, the rest were just labeled as "misc. succulents" or some such thing. If anyone knows the IDs that would be cool, so feel free to chime in. :huh:
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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

#2

Post by RCS »

Nice looking plants. Wish I could get away with planting them in the garden.

Bob
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Spination
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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

#3

Post by Spination »

I almost replied a couple of times, but found myself overcome with reluctance each time. Due to confusion within the genus (dyckiabrazil blogspot claims that "Some biologists now believe they might be well over 600 six hundred Dyckia species."), and the countless number of hybrids out there, that is one tough assignment if not nearly impossible to ID Dyckia from photos, unless they are really obvious. Dyckiabrazil is an interesting website with a lot of nice photographs, but the proprietor appears to be quite a character, to say the least, and I'm not so sure just how reliable the info is there to be found.

But, since there are no other takers, I'll take a stab at it anyway. Ignoring your group photo, your individual photo #4 is probably the easiest, given it's spineless nature. Dyckia 'Naked Lady' is the only one I'm aware of that really looks like that. #2 looks similar to D. 'Burgundy Ice', and the extremely toothy nature of #3 has me thinking something along the lines of D. goehringii or a hybrid thereof. #1 I could guess several different ones, so I'll pass on that.

My collection is rather sparse, consisting of a mere 30 or so different species and hybrids (but mostly hybrids), so my personal mental data-base is rather way too thin to consider myself anything even resembling an expert on these plants. What I have, I know well...but that's about it. Also, after having acquired mostly ones that I found exceptional or appealing to me personally, I'm at a point where there seems just too many out there that look all too similar and thus mundane, so it's been a while since I've even acquired anything new. I'm sure if I put some effort into it, I could find a few more I like, but I'm currently more preoccupied with other things (Aloes, etc).

Anyway, your grouping composition looks very nice, but you may find in time that you haven't allowed quite enough space between them for inevitable spreading, looking at all the offsets already growing, to get your hands in there for removing offsets without loss of blood, lol. But, maybe that's not so bad. There was a time when blood-letting was considered some kind of therapy. :lol: At some point in the future, I would expect them all growing into each other. :shock: D))
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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

#4

Post by DesertDweller »

Appreciate the reply!

Firstly, they're not quite as close as the group photo makes it out to be, but I am OK with them growing closer together and into a tangle at some point, so either way. I just wanted something interesting to cover the ground and that could take the heat and sunlight in this spot (and occasional neglect by someone too busy with their agaves and bamboos... :oops:).
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The powdery fellow was tagged as D. grandidentata, whether or not it actually is, well, you know how that goes. Appreciate the stab at the others, it's really too bad they weren't tagged at the nursery. I really do like the interesting looks of the first one though, probably my favorite of the bunch.
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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

#5

Post by Gee.S »

DesertDweller wrote:Appreciate the reply!

The powdery fellow was tagged as D. grandidentata, whether or not it actually is, well, you know how that goes. Appreciate the stab at the others, it's really too bad they weren't tagged at the nursery. I really do like the interesting looks of the first one though, probably my favorite of the bunch.
Looks a lot like mine, which is now blooming. I like that stuff in the ground, hope it makes it.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

#6

Post by Spination »

Apparently, Dyckia species directories are not easy to locate, and I've been relatively dissatisfied in the past with the results of my efforts trying to find informational resources. However, I was apparently inspired to spend more time searching, and did find this, which may well be quite useful... It's a website - Florida Council of Bromeliad Societies:

http://fcbs.org/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If one clicks through the links, eventually, this can be found there (A directory with photos of Dyckia species and cultivars):

http://fcbs.org/pictures/Dyckia.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you check Dyckia grandidentata, you will find something that looks quite unlike your so labelled plant (from the index, first click the species name, then click on the photo for a larger view):
http://fcbs.org/images/Dyckia/Dyckia_gr ... ta_079.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The "powdery" you mentioned are trichomes, which functions are debatable and not fully understood:
http://www.amjbot.org/content/88/8/1371.full.pdf+html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In any case, your plant looks quite silvery or white in appearance, which doesn't appear to be a quality of grandidentata. Grandidentata leaves seem to be consistently and more uniformly slender, another difference with your plant.
Here's a link from dyckiabrazil's website with another depiction of that species:
http://dyckiabrazil.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... ntata.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When I see trichome covered plants, I think of Dyckia marnier-lapostollei, a very likely contributor to many a hybrid. Besides the trichomes, it has other eye-pleasing characteristics including marginal spines and it's leaf shape. Here's mine
2016 05 12 Dyckia marnier-lapostollei #1 X750.jpg
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I can imagine a cross between that, and something like this, and quite possibly more complicated with additional crosses in it's ancestry:
http://fcbs.org/cgi-bin/dbman/db.cgi?db ... ew+Records" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's another similar hybrid, called 'Megalodon' a reputed Kelly Griffin creation. The marginal spines not quite as imposing as the ones on your lovely plant...
2016 05 12 Dyckia Megalodon x750.jpg
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Here's another hybrid, called 'Gray Ops' but rather than a purple base color to the leaves like Megalodon, more green like yours...
2015 10 14 D Gray Ops b X750.jpg
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In any case, that is my favorite from your group, a very nice looking plant to my eye.
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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

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Post by DesertDweller »

Wow, outstanding info, thank you for sharing! I will take a look at all the links in more detail later tonight. Can't say I'm surprised about the ID being off from the grower, that seems to be getting more and more common place. Forgivable on Dyckia I suppose, but still a bit annoying. I think they might have had others, I will have to look around and see this weekend. If I spot anything cool, I will snap it up, throw it in the ground and update this post with more pics. :D
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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

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Post by DesertDweller »

DesertDweller wrote:I think they might have had others, I will have to look around and see this weekend. If I spot anything cool, I will snap it up, throw it in the ground and update this post with more pics. :D
Well, I was right. They did have others, so I kept my word! :D I found this narrow leaved oddity, with some interesting looking spines. Nice size, lots of offsets and looked good with the group, so made my four piece into a full fivesome. :)

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Re: Couple of new Dyckia in the ground...

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Post by Spination »

I'm not 100% sure it's the same, but it does look very similar to this one I have, called Dyckia velascana. Brand new growth comes in a pale green, and quickly turns a platinum color with even modest sun. Long, semi-thin (width) leaves with demure, well spaced marginal spines seem to be a decent match.
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