Agave gracilipes

Trelease

Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 22: 95, plates 98, 99. 1912.

Common names: Slim-footed agave
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 458. Mentioned on page 443, 445, 450.

Plants acaulescent, sparsely suckering; rosettes usually solitary, 3–4 × 7–8 dm, dense. Leaves ascending, 18–30 × 4.5–7 cm; blade glaucous and yellow- or gray-green, not cross-zoned, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, rigid, adaxially concave toward apex, abaxially convex; margins straight, armed, teeth single, well defined, 2–8 mm, 1.5–2.5 cm apart; apical spine reddish brown to gray, acicular, 2.5–5 cm. Scape (1.8–)4–5 m. Inflorescences narrowly to somewhat broadly paniculate, dense, not bulbiferous; bracts persistent, lanceolate, 1–3(–5) cm; lateral branches 30–40, slightly ascending, comprising distal 1/3–1/2 of inflorescence, longer than 10 cm, or short-scaped individuals (1.8–3.5 m) with only 7–20 lateral branches on distal 1/4. Flowers 6–45 per cluster, erect, 4–5.5(–5.8) cm; perianth red in bud, yellow to yellow-green at anthesis, tube broadly campanulate, 4–7 × 9–15 mm, limb lobes spreading to ascending, slightly unequal, 14–18 mm; stamens long-exserted; filaments inserted just below rim of perianth tube, erect, yellow, (2.8–)3–4.5 cm; anthers yellow, 16–20 mm; ovary 2.5–3.2 cm, neck constricted, 3–5 mm. Capsules sessile or short-pedicellate, oblong, 2.7–4.4 cm, apex beaked. Seeds 5–6.5 mm. 2n = 60.


Phenology: Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat: Gravelly to rocky, often calcareous places in grasslands, desert scrub, and pinyon juniper woodlands
Elevation: 1200–1900 m

Distribution

V26 956-distribution-map.jpg

N.Mex., Tex., Mexico (Chihuahua).

Discussion

Agave gracilipes probably represents an ancient hybrid involving A. lechuguilla and A. parryi subsp. neomexicana. In fact, hybrids between A. gracilipes and A. lechuguilla appear to occur at present. However, until populations of A. gracilipes are thoroughly studied cytologically, we are reluctant to designate this taxon as a hybrid species (e.g., see 8. A. ×arizonica).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Agave gracilipes"
James L. Reveal +  and Wendy C. Hodgson +
Trelease +
Slim-footed agave +
N.Mex. +, Tex. +  and Mexico (Chihuahua). +
1200–1900 m +
Gravelly to rocky, often calcareous places in grasslands, desert scrub, and pinyon juniper woodlands +
Flowering summer–early fall. +
Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. +
Agave gracilipes +
species +