Hesperaloe funifera

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Hesperaloe funifera
Hesperaloe funifera With a typical inflorescence

Hesperaloe funifera With a typical inflorescence

Systematics
Monocots
Order : Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family : Asparagaceae (Asparagaceae)
Subfamily : Agave family (Agavaceae)
Genre : Hesperaloe ( hesperaloe )
Type : Hesperaloe funifera
Scientific name
Hesperaloe funifera
( K.Koch ) Trel.

Hesperaloe funifera (English common name "Giant Hesperaloe") is a species of the genus Hesperaloe in the agave family . The epithet of the species means "carrying a cord".

description

Hesperaloe funifera forms cushions up to 150 cm in diameter. The upright, stiff, light to yellow-green, channel-shaped, linear, lanceolate leaves are 100 to 200 cm long, 3 to 4 cm wide from the base to the middle and narrowed towards the tip with a pointed thorn . The leaf margins are white, gray to brown with strong, variable fibers.

The 2 to 4 m high inflorescence is usually widely branched in the upper half. The bell-shaped white to light green flowers have a brown to purple central stripe. Are 15 to 20 mm long and arranged in a wheel shape. The flowering period extends from April to September.

The fruits are woody, spherical to broadly elongated capsules 25 to 35 mm long and wide. They contain black seeds 7 to 9 mm long, 5 to 7 mm wide and 0.5 mm thick .

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 60.

Distribution and systematics

Hesperaloe funifera is located in Mexico in the states of Nuevo León and Coahuila on limestone hills at an altitude of 500 to 1000 m. According to R. Govaerts, it also occurs in southwest Texas. The species grows together with Agave lechuguilla , Opuntia leptocaulis and other cactus species.

The current description by William Trelease under the name Hesperaloe funifera was published in 1902. A synonym is Yucca funifera K.Koch .

Hesperaloe funifera is the largest species in the genus. The long, stiff and broad leaves are typical, whereas Hesperaloe parviflora has shorter and narrower leaves. Hesperaloe chiangii with the exceptionally long, strong edge fibers forms larger pads. The species is frost hardy to −15 ° C in Germany. Cultivated hybrids between Hesperaloe funifera and Hesperaloe parviflora are known.

photos

  • Typical bloom

  • Unripe fruit

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Tropicos. [1]
  2. ↑ Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Hesperaloe - World Checklist of Selected Plant Families of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on July 30, 2018.
  3. ^ Report (Annual) of the Missouri Botanical Garden No. 13, p. 36, St. Louis 1902
  4. ↑ La Belgique Horticole; Annales de Botanique et d'Horticulture . No. 12, p. 132, 1862

literature

  • Fritz Hochstätter: The genus Hesperaloe (Agavaceae) . In: CactusWorld . Volume 27, No. 2, pp. 100-101, 2009

Web links

Commons : Hesperaloe funifera  - collection of images, videos and audio files