Beaucarnea compacta
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| L.Hern. & Zamudio |
Beaucarnea compacta is a species of the genus Beaucarnea in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). An English common name is "Ponytail Palm, Short-Stemmed Guanajuato Beaucarnea".
description
Beaucarnea compacta grows shrubby and forms a subglobose caudex 40 to 60 cm high and 80 to 100 cm wide. The variable, warty, linear, blue to green leaves that are toothed on the leaf margins are 50 to 75 cm long and 10 to 12 mm wide.
The panicle inflorescence becomes 150 to 200 cm high. The flowers are cream to yellow in color. The species is dioecious / two-skinned / hermaphroditic / unisexual.
The egg-shaped, light green capsule fruits , yellow when ripe, contain a seed and are 8 to 9 mm long and 4 to 5 mm wide. The triangular red-brown seeds are 4 to 3 mm in diameter.
Systematics and distribution
Beaucarnea compacta grows in Mexico in the state of Guanajuato in xerophyte regions at altitudes of 1300 to 1400 m. It is associated with Astrophytum ornatum , Mammillaria marcosii , Stenocereus dumortieri , Stenocereus queretaroensis , Myrtillocactus geometrizans and Agave xylonacantha .
It was first described in 2003 by Luis Hernández and Sergio Zamudio .
Beaucarnea compacta , the smallest species of the genus, is a member of the Papillatea section . It was discovered by Charles Glass at the end of the 20th century and later described (2003) by Luis Hernandez and Sergio Zamudio. It is common in limited areas in the state of Guanajuato. The subglobose caudex is typical. It is similar to Beaucarnea gracilis, but the differences in the length and width of the leaves become clear. Nevertheless, differences in inflorescence and fruit can be seen. At first glance, there are hardly any differences to Calibanus glassianus .
proof
- Luis Hernández, Sergio Zamudio: Two new remarkable Nolinaceae from Central Mexico . In: Brittonia . Volume 55, number 3, 2003, pp. 226-232 ( doi : 10.1663 / 0007-196X (2003) 055 [0226: TNRNFC] 2.0.CO; 2 ).