Two strange native plants

[Alberto]

Sorry,maybe a little off topic,but here it has more visibility (please remove to´´ tropical looking plants´´ if necessary)

Last holyday I went to my cousins farm in Tibagi county.. He has some agriculture on better soils and zebu cows on +- 100 hectares of somewhat poor soils with planted pastures.There is also a little remnant (+- 5 hectares) near the river where the original campo and campos-cerrados vegetation is still alive.

I´m always amazed about the richness of species in the campos and cerrados,from orchids to cactus,bromeliads,lilies,allkind of grasses,palms,mirtaceas...Walking through this campos-cerrados I saw the usual plants but also two strange species looking ferns with strange fruits or flower growing from the top. One species had a thick round green fruit with somewhat purple little spines and the other had elongated multiple fruits also with a red/purple /blue collor., The last one shows a dust of spores when I shake it. The smell is very sweat and I saw some very little bugs eating from the spores

In total I found two specimens with the round fruit (one of the fruits was rotting) and 3 with the elongated fruits.Both resemble cycads but I think there aren´t cycads here. Please can you help me identify this species. My cousin has lots of pastures for his zebu cows, and in fact does not need to use this 5 hectares ,but I think that if it wasn´t ilegal ,he would remove all the campos-cerrados vegetation and plant pasture onto the side of the Tibagi river. He is planning to release about 50 zebus on this campos the next week to ´´clean´´it. This cows are very rustic and can eat the native grasses. I´m afraid that this cows on this little parcel will destroy all the native vegetation in a short time....

[Alberto]

Close up

[Alberto]

Closer

[Alberto]

Other species

[Alberto]

Other smaller plant.

[Alberto]

Close up

[Gileno Machado]

Wow....the missing link between Cycads and Ferns ?? Male and female plants? The cones are very showy...Do the fronds have a texture of Stangeria?

[Alberto]

Wow....the missing link between Cycads and Ferns ?? Male and female plants? The cones are very showy...Do the fronds have a texture of Stangeria?

I have never seen a Stangeria,Gileno,so I really don´t know....

[Al in Kona]

These plants are very interesting, wow! Sure hope someone can help in identifying them. The cones make them to sure appear to be like a cycad. You better protect them before the cows destroy them or they could be lost forever. I was with the understanding that there are no cycads in South America south of the Tropic of Capricorn? These plants could end up being a rare find!

[Gileno Machado]

Wow....the missing link between Cycads and Ferns ?? Male and female plants? The cones are very showy...Do the fronds have a texture of Stangeria?

I have never seen a Stangeria,Gileno,so I really don´t know....

I'm growing two small Stangeria seedlings here, Alberto...they're amazing small Cycads, once thought to be ferns, where they were placed taxonomically for many years. Stangeria eriopus is a monotypic genus of cycad endemic to coastal South Africa, with unique fern-like texture to the leaflets but they look very different from your plant, which resemble actually an interesting form of Encephalartos, if you don't mind...

Since most cycads are poisonous for livestock, please keep those zebu away from these plants...or I can rescue them to Sirinhaém, where the dogs will be afraid of it and the species will be safe...

[Alberto]

I'm growing two small Stangeria seedlings here, Alberto...they're amazing small Cycads, once thought to be ferns, where they were placed taxonomically for many years. Stangeria eriopus is a monotypic genus of cycad endemic to coastal South Africa, with unique fern-like texture to the leaflets but they look very different from your plant, which resemble actually an interesting form of Encephalartos, if you don't mind...

Gileno, Encephalartos only grow in South africa...so I think it´s almost impossible that this plants belongs to this´´genera´´Do you think they are both the same species (male and female plants??????)

[BS Man about Palms]

[fastfeat]

Sure look like some kind of cycad to me, but I don't know what kind.

[PalmGuyWC]

Alberto,

I know very little about cycads, but your discovery sure looks like a cycad, with both female and male flowers. Most definately a cycad expert should inspect these plants. You may have made one of the most important plant discoverys of the 21st century. Tell your cousin how rare these plants are and they should be protected.

Dick

[wildpalm]

Congratulations Alberto,

You appear to have stumbled upon the fabled link between conifers and ferns. This discovery will send shockwaves through the botanical communtiy around the world. A whole new family could be named in your honour- The "Albertoae".

Look after these special plants as you my never see them again.

BTW due to time zones it is 2nd of April in New Zealand today.

With kind regards,

Alan.

[Jonathan]

Congratulations Alberto,

You appear to have stumbled upon the fabled link between conifers and ferns. This discovery will send shockwaves through the botanical communtiy around the world. A whole new family could be named in your honour- The "Albertoae".

Look after these special plants as you my never see them again.

BTW due to time zones it is 2nd of April in New Zealand today.

With kind regards,

Alan.

Do you mean its a cycad?!

Alberto - you really should (you probably already have) put some chicken wire around those plants and collect the seed.

There is an extinct genus of cycads called Pterosoma from Tasmania, southern Australia and New Zealand....given the Gondwannan links to South America, maybe you have discovered the modern survivor of the family!

Cheers,

Jonathan

[gyuseppe]

Congratulations Alberto!

Seems cycads,we know that in south america no cycads

but from the photos and very cycads

as are the leaves ,soft?

[Kelern]

Ha ha Alberto!, here too is the second of april now

Males cones and females flowers of Araucaria angustifolia fall into the ferns.

Edited April 2, 2010 by Kelern

[Kelern]

OOPS female cones and males purple flowers! that's better.

[Alberto]

Sure look like some kind of cycad to me, but I don't know what kind.

After a study in situ, the most famous botanics of the word came to a conclusion: It´s the most important botanical discovery of the Century. YES,CENTURY i said. It will be called: Primoaprilis araucariformis,because of the similarity of the cones with that of araucarias!!!

:rage:In fact I woud prefer the name Albertoa barkemensis...but you know how this botanics are!!!!

[Alberto]

Alberto,

I know very little about cycads, but your discovery sure looks like a cycad, with both female and male flowers. Most definately a cycad expert should inspect these plants. You may have made one of the most important plant discoverys of the 21st century. Tell your cousin how rare these plants are and they should be protected.

Dick

I´ll protect them!!!

[Alberto]

Congratulations Alberto,

You appear to have stumbled upon the fabled link between conifers and ferns. This discovery will send shockwaves through the botanical communtiy around the world. A whole new family could be named in your honour- The "Albertoae".

Look after these special plants as you my never see them again.

BTW due to time zones it is 2nd of April in New Zealand today.

With kind regards,

Alan.

Albertoae souns very good!!! Yes Albertoae barkemensis!!!

First or 2nd April? Excuse me?!

[Alberto]

Congratulations Alberto!

Seems cycads,we know that in south america no cycads

but from the photos and very cycads

as are the leaves ,soft?

Gyuseppe,now you know south Brazil is the home of the rarest cycad of the world!!!

[Jonathan]

Congratulations Alberto!

Seems cycads,we know that in south america no cycads

but from the photos and very cycads

as are the leaves ,soft?

Gyuseppe,now you know south Brazil is the home of the rarest cycad of the world!!!

.....yes, and when Alberto shakes his head the seeds fall out of his ears - he should probably wrap his head in chicken wire!

Cheers,

Jonathan

[tjwalters]

Awesome! Better, even, than the Starbucks coffee bean pipeline!

[Don]

Thats totally awesome!

[Alberto]

It was a pleasure to tell this tale and fool around with our beloved plants.

You need interested ears, a little dose of knowledge with another dose of ignorance and naivity from my side to make the story somewhat convincing.

The cones of the ´´strange plants´´ are both ,male and female cones of Araucaria angustifolia.The plant itself is probably a Blechnum sp.

But the reality behind this tale is,how many species we lost and are loosing around the world (Madagascar,China, Brazil,Indonesia etc,etc...) due to destruction of habitats for agriculture and pasture. I´m concerned about our campo vegetation,that has less official protection than the Araucaria forests...

[Jonathan]

It was a pleasure to tell this tale and fool around with our beloved plants.

You need interested ears, a little dose of knowledge with another dose of ignorance and naivity from my side to make the story somewhat convincing.

The cones of the ´´strange plants´´ are both ,male and female cones of Araucaria angustifolia.The plant itself is probably a Blechnum sp.

But the reality behind this tale is,how many species we lost and are loosing around the world (Madagascar,China, Brazil,Indonesia etc,etc...) due to destruction of habitats for agriculture and pasture. I´m concerned about our campo vegetation,that has less official protection than the Araucaria forests...

An important point - well put Alberto!

We have the same problem here in Tasmania.

Eucalyptus regnans trees 400 years old and 80+m tall are still getting clear felled - its madness.

And we really did have an extinct cycad.....

Cheers,

Jonathan

[Alberto]

Hi Jonathan,

That is sad to hear! I hope the future generations will take care better of our Nature as the generations before....

Alberto

[Gileno Machado]

Sure look like some kind of cycad to me, but I don't know what kind.

After a study in situ, the most famous botanics of the word came to a conclusion: It´s the most important botanical discovery of the Century. YES,CENTURY i said. It will be called: Primoaprilis araucariformis,because of the similarity of the cones with that of araucarias!!!

:rage:In fact I woud prefer the name Albertoa barkemensis...but you know how this botanics are!!!!

Primoaprilis is a very interesting genus of plants, Alberto... Very funny indeed. First I was thinking of some new species in the genus Photoshopius but them Kelen nailed the Araucaria chromossome prevailing in your hybrid...I can't wait to meet you in Rio for the revenge...

[gyuseppe]

.I can't wait to meet you in Rio for the revenge...

You were very convincing alberto