Agave cerulata

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Agave cerulata
Agave cerulata (5782951670) .jpg

Agave cerulata

Systematics
Order : Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family : Asparagaceae (Asparagaceae)
Subfamily : Agave family (Agavoideae)
Genre : Agaves ( agave )
Subgenus : agave
Type : Agave cerulata
Scientific name
Agave cerulata
Trel.

Agave cerulata is a plant from the genus of the Agave ( agave ). An English common name is "Century Plant".

description

Agave cerulata forms small rosettes that form abundant offshoots. They reach heights of up to 50 cm. The variable, slender, rarely transversely banded, yellow to light green colored, long, pointed, lanceolate leaves are 25 to 50 cm long and 4 to 8 cm wide. The sometimes wavy, leaf edges are toothed flexibly. The needle-like light to dark gray terminal spine is 3 to 6 cm long.

The panicle inflorescence becomes 2 to 3.5 m high. The buds are white and waxy. The light yellow flowers are 45 to 60 mm long and appear on the upper part of the inflorescence on small, irregularly arranged branches. The flower tube is broadly funnel-shaped.

The elongated three-chamber capsule fruits are 30 to 50 mm long and 12 to 13 mm wide. The black, irregularly shaped seeds are up to 5 mm long and 3 mm wide.

Systematics and distribution

Agave cerulata grows in Mexico in the state of Baja California up to a height of 900 m. It is associated with succulent and cactus species.

The first description by Trel. was published in 1911 (1912 publ.). The following subspecies and varieties are distinguished:

  • Agave cerulata subsp. cerulata
  • Agave cerulata subsp. dentiens
  • Agave cerulata subsp. nelsonii
  • Agave cerulata subsp. subcerulata

Agave cerulata is a member of the Deserticolae group . Characteristic are the slender, yellow to light green colored, long, pointed, lanceolate leaves. It is closely related to the agave deserti , which occurs further north , but differences in shape, leaf and flower structure are recognizable. Agave cerulata is grown at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson . When it is dry, it can withstand short periods of frost down to minus 10 ° C.

literature

  • Mary & Gary Irish: Agaves, yuccas, and related plants . Timber Press, 2000, ISBN 0-88192-442-3 , pp. 107-10, pl. 10.
  • Howard Scott Gentry: Agaves of Continental North America . University of Arizona Press, 1982, ISBN 0-8165-0775-9 , pp. 356-360, 363-375.
  • J. Thiede: Agavaceae. In: Urs Eggli (Hrsg.): Succulent lexicon. Monocotyledons. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3662-7 , pp. 20-21.
  • T. Heller: Agaves . Ntv, Münster 2006, ISBN 3-937285-59-8 , pp. 72-73.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Trelease In: Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. 1911 (1912 publ.), Volume 22, p. 55.
  2. ↑ Howard Scott Gentry : Agaves of Continental North America . The University of Arizona Press, Tucson 1982, pp. 368-375 .
  3. ↑ Howard Scott Gentry : Agaves of Continental North America . 1982, p. 367 .

Web links

Commons : Agave cerulata  - Collection of images