Yucca campestris

McKelvey

Yuccas Southw. U.S. 2: 173, plates 62, 63. 1947.

Common names: Plains yucca
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 438. Mentioned on page 425, 439.

Plants forming small or large, open colonies, acaulescent or occasionally caulescent and arborescent, rhizomatous; rosettes usually small. Stems 0.6–1 m. Leaf-blade linear, planoconvex or plano-keeled, widest near middle, 40–65 × 0.3–0.7 (–1.5) cm, rigid, margins entire, filiferous, white, apex spinose, spine acicular, 7 mm. Inflorescences paniculate, arising within or occasionally beyond rosettes, narrowly ellipsoid, 6–10 dm, distance from leaf tips to proximal inflorescence branches less than twice leaf length when fully expanded, glabrous; branches to 13 cm; bracts erect; peduncle scapelike, 0.5–1 m, less than 2.5 cm diam. Flowers pendent; perianth globose; tepals connate, dull green, sometimes tinged pink, 4.1–6.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm; filaments shorter than pistil, flaccid; anthers 3.2 mm; pistil ovoid to obovoid, 2.5–3 × 0.5–0.9 cm; style bright green; stigmas lobed. Fruits erect, capsular, dehiscent, symmetrical or rarely constricted, 4.5–5.5 (–6.3) × 3–5 cm, dehiscence septicidal. Seeds glossy black, thin, 11–14 × 8–11 mm.


Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Deep sands
Elevation: 800–900 m

Discussion

Yucca campestris is endemic to the plains region in the southern panhandle counties of western Texas. S. D. McKelvey (1938–1947) discussed its variation in relation to its distribution, and K. H. Clary’s (1997) DNA studies support its recognition as a distinct species. J. M. Webber (1953) considered Y. campestris to be a hybrid between Y. constricta and Y. elata, and reported a distribution from west Texas into southern New Mexico, and possibly into northwestern New Mexico. Additional study within these regions may help resolve the relationships and origin of this species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thick" is not a number. "thin" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property. "dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Yucca campestris"
longitudinal +
3.2 cm32 mm <br />0.032 m <br /> (?) +
spinose +  and entire +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
40cm;65cm +
glandular-pubescent +  and glandular +
acicular +
0.3cm +  and 0.7cm +
William J. Hess +  and R. Laurie Robbins +
McKelvey +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (?) +
plano-keeled +, planoconvex +  and linear +
elliptic +, ovate +, oblanceolate +, lanceolate +  and linear +
expanded +
fleshy +  and rigid +
scale-like +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br />) +
large +  and small +
Plains yucca +
800–900 m +
elongated +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
flattened +
broadened +
septicidal +, 3cm +  and 5cm +
constricted +
fleshy +  and dry +
Deep sands +
0-2 times leaf length +
long-lived +  and annual +
spinose +  and entire +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (65 cm650 mm <br />0.65 m <br />) +
acicular +
0.3cm;0.7cm +
6-lobed +
not +  and articulate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
semisucculent +
Flowering spring. +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
ovoid +  and obovoid +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (?) +
Yuccas Southw. U.S. +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
ovate +, obovate +, round +  and flattened +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
spinose +  and entire +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
40cm;65cm +
acicular +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
exserted +  and included +
aboveground +  and subterranean +
60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
white;pale green +
1 +  and 3 +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
bright green +
exserted +  and included +
Clistoyucca +  and Samuela +
Yucca campestris +
species +
tinged pink;green +
4.1cm +  and 6.5cm +
1.5cm;2.5cm +
rhizomatous +, caulescent +  and acaulescent +
aboveground +  and subterranean +
polygamodioecious +, dioecious +, monoecious +, polycarpic +  and monocarpic +
small;gigantic +
petal-like +