Key to Agavaceae

View taxon page for Agavaceae

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Generally shrub- or tree-like; leaves thick, generally rigid

2. Ovary inferior; perianth yellow to green-yellow ..... AGAVE

2' Ovary superior; perianth white or cream to ± green, purple-tinged or -tipped or not, or red-brown abaxially, ± white adaxially

3. Fruit 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

, 

loculicidal 

Pertaining to dehiscence of a fruit (capsule) by a longitudinal line through the wall at or near the center of each chamber, such that each resulting segment corresponds to the two adjacent halves of two adjacent chambers, usually with a placenta-bearing septum centrally.

; 

peduncle 

Stalk of an individual flower borne singly, not in an inflorescence, or of an entire inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit; the stalk subtending an involucre (e.g., in Asteraceae, Polygonaceae).

generally > 2.5 cm wide, bracts generally 

reflexed 

Abruptly bent or curved downward or backward.

; stigma head-like ..... HESPEROYUCCA

3' Fruit erect or pendent, tardily 

septicidal 

Pertaining to dehiscence of a fruit (capsule) by a longitudinal line through the wall at or near the center of each septum, such that each resulting segment corresponds to a single chamber, with placentas placed variously.

or generally 

indehiscent 

Not opening inherently to release contents; usually pertaining to fruits.

; peduncle generally < 2 cm wide, bracts generally 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

; stigma 3-lobed ..... YUCCA

1' Perennial herb, generally not shrub- or tree-like; leaves thin, flexible

4. Stem not evident above ground – leaves, flowers tufted ..... LEUCOCRINUM

4' Stem evident above ground

5. Inflorescence a 

panicle 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the basal or lateral flowers (or some of them) open before the terminal or central flowers on any axis. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a panicle-like inflorescence is one in which at least some of the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are attached (stalked or unstalked) to branches and not directly to the main axis of the inflorescence and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.

6. Style thread-like, deciduous; perianth twisted together above ovary in fruit

7. Flowers open in evening, closed by morning; perianth parts 8–30 mm ..... CHLOROGALUM

7' Flowers open during day, closed by evening; perianth parts 5–8 mm ..... HOOVERIA

6' Style ± stout, persistent; perianth not twisted together above fruit ..... HASTINGSIA (2)

5' Inflorescence a 

raceme 

In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, an unbranched inflorescence in which the flowers are borne on pedicels and nearly always open from the bottom to the top of the inflorescence. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a raceme-like inflorescence is one in which the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are stalked and attached directly to the main axis of the inflorescence, not to branches, and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.

8. Perianth parts < 1 cm, white (green-white) to ± yellow or ± purple ..... HASTINGSIA (2)

8' Perianth parts 1.2–6 cm, white or blue to ± purple

9. Perianth parts blue to ± purple (white), fused < 5% of length; 

scapose 

Pertaining to a plant or an inflorescence in which a relatively long peduncle (scape) arises, sometimes with leaf- or scale-like bracts but without true foliage leaves, from a rosette or other arrangement of leaves at ground level.

; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

 margins not wavy ..... CAMASSIA

9' Perianth parts white with silver-green midstripe especially abaxially, fused ± 25% of length; not scapose; leaf margins wavy ..... HESPEROCALLIS

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