Agave americana subsp. protamericana

Gentry

Agaves Continental N. Amer., 287, figs. 12.1, 12.3–12.5, 12.8, 12.12, 12.14, 12.15, plate 12.1. 1982.

Common names: Wild century plant
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 453.

Plants acaulescent or short-stemmed, trunks less than 1 m; rosettes open. Leaves frequently reflexed, 80–135 × 17–22 cm; blade light green to glaucous-gray, sometimes cross-zoned, broadly lanceolate, adaxially plane or guttered, abaxially convex; margins crenate, teeth, 5–10 mm; apical spine subulate, 3–6 cm. Scape 6–8 m. Inflorescences: lateral branches 15–20. Flowers 7.5–9 cm; perianth-tube 15–20 mm; ovary 4–4.5 cm. Capsules 3.5–4 cm. Seeds 7–8 mm.


Phenology: Flowering early spring–early summer.
Habitat: Sandy places in desert scrub
Elevation: 200 m

Discussion

The Starr County, Texas, plants of subsp. protamericana are smaller in stature than those seen in Mexican populations but appear to belong to this wild taxon.

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.

longitudinal +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
width +  and length +
glandular-pubescent +  and glandular +
papillate +
linear +  and oblong or deltate +
dark-brown +  and grayish +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
James L. Reveal +  and Wendy C. Hodgson +
Gentry +
armed +  and filiferous +
cross-zoned +, light green +  and glaucous-gray +
convex +, guttered +, plane +  and lanceolate +
short to long +
persistent +
reflexed +, erect +  and ascending +
triangular +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
umbel-like +
short-pedicellate +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Wild century plant +
fibrous-rooted +
Tex. +  and ne Mexico +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
broadened +
7.5 cm75 mm <br />0.075 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
loculicidal +
oblong +  and ovoid +
Sandy places in desert scrub +
1/3 +  and 1/2 +
horizontal +  and slightly ascending +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +
pseudopetiolate +, sessile +  and simple +
evergreen +
80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br /> (135 cm1,350 mm <br />1.35 m <br />) +
17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br /> (22 cm220 mm <br />0.22 m <br />) +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
dentate +, serrulate +  and entire +
undulate to crenate +  and straight +
fleshy +, firm +  and rigid +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
constricted +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (?) +
cylindrical +, ovoid +  and 3-angled +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +  and 4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br /> (?) +
succulent +
not +  and articulate +
umbel-like +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
semisucculent +
Flowering early spring–early summer. +
Agaves Continental N. Amer., +
not cespitose +
600 cm6,000 mm <br />6 m <br /> (800 cm8,000 mm <br />8 m <br />) +
globose +, obovoid +  and flattened +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
semiwoody +
long-exserted +
branched +, , +  and unbranched +
aboveground +
3 +  and 1 +
papillate +
exserted +  and included +
subulate +
Agave americana subsp. protamericana +
Agave americana +
subspecies +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
subequal +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
short-stemmed +  and acaulescent +
polycarpic +  and monocarpic +
small;gigantic +
petal-like +