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AGAVACEAE CENTURY PLANT FAMILY

Dale W. McNeal, except as noted

Perennial, shrub, tree, fibrous succulent or not, from bulbs or rhizomes.
Stem: above ground or not, branched or not.
Leaf: simple, deciduous or not, basal or in terminal rosettes, generally sessile, linear, lanceolate, oblanceolate or ovate, fibrous or not, thin and flexible or thick and rigid or succulent; margin entire, fine- serrate, dentate, or with filaments, tips rigid or flexible, with a spine or not.
Flower: bisexual; perianth parts 6, in 2 petal-like whorls, free or ± fused; stamens 6, ± fused to perianth, filaments often wide, succulent; ovary superior or inferior, chambers 3, style 1 (thick, poorly defined), stigma head-like or 3-lobed.
Fruit: capsule, indehiscent, loculicidal, or septicidal.
Seed: few to many, ± flat or ovoid, generally black.
23 genera, 637 species: worldwide. —Scientific Editors: Dale W. McNeal, Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Agavaceae

AGAVE CENTURY PLANT

James L. Reveal

Shrub-like, stem often short, forming basal rosettes, scapose, often rhizomed, generally dying after flower.
Leaf: long-lived, sessile, lance- linear to ovate, thick, generally rigid, often fleshy, glabrous, armed with marginal teeth, spine at tip.
Inflorescence: panicle-, raceme-, or spike-like, bracted, often with bulblets.
Flower: [1] paired, or in clusters of 3–40; perianth generally funnel- or bell-shaped, yellow to green-yellow, parts petal-like, 6 in 2 whorls, fused basally, lobes erect to ascending or ± spreading distally; stamens 6; ovary inferior, 3-chambered.
Fruit: oblong to ovoid, often beaked, loculicidal.
Seed: many, ± flat, black.
± 200 species: warm, tropical America. (Greek: noble, for imposing stature) [Reveal & Hodgson 2002 FNANM 26:442–461]
Unabridged note: Cult material may be identified using Gentry 1982 Agaves of Continental North America. Univ. AZ Press.

Key to Agave

A. utahensis Engelm. UTAH AGAVE
NATIVE
St 0; rosette generally 1.
Leaf: [12]15–30[50] cm, lance- linear, marginal teeth 4–12(15) mm, 1–4 cm apart, tip- spine [2]4–20 cm.
Inflorescence: raceme-like, 2–4 m including peduncle; bracts 4–8 cm, narrow-triangular, not persistent; branches 50–75[+], generally 0.5–5 cm; flowers 2–8 per cluster.
Flower: perianth 2.3–4.3 cm, tube 6.5–10[11.5] mm, bell-shaped, lobes ± equal, 7–12 mm; stamens ± exserted, filaments 1.3–2.4 cm, ± from base of tube, white, anthers 5–12 mm; ovary 1.2–2.5 cm.
Fruit: 1–2.5 cm.
Seed: 2–4 mm. Other subspp., vars. in NV, UT, AZ. [Online Interchange]

A. utahensis var. nevadensis Greenm. & Roush CLARK MOUNTAIN AGAVE
NATIVE
Rosettes 1.5–2.5 dm.
Leaf: 15–25 cm, glaucous-green, marginal teeth 4–6 mm, tip- spine 4–8.5 cm, brown to ± white.
Desert scrub [to conifer woodland] on calcareous outcrops; 1200–1500 m. n&e Desert Mountains (Clark, Ivanpah mtns, Kingston Range); Nevada. May–Jul [Online Interchange] {CNPS list}
Unabridged note: Expanded author citation: Agave utahensis var. nevadensis Engelm. ex Greenm. & Roush

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occursRed area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon;
markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may have georeferencing or identification issues.
map of distribution 1

Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records.
Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.
Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
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CCH collections by month

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa.
Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.