Agave weberi

Agave weberi, known as maguey liso in Spanish and as Weber agave in English, is a succulent perennial plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Under the synonym Agave neglecta, it is known as wild century plant and Small agave – the latter in honor of its discoverer in Florida, John Kunkel Small.[3] Naturalized populations in Florida were considered to be a separate species, but are now treated as synonymous with A. weberi.

Agave weberi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Agavoideae
Genus: Agave
Species:
A. weberi
Binomial name
Agave weberi
J.F.Cels ex J.Poiss.[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Agave franceschiana Trel. ex A. Berger
  • Agave neglecta Small

Description

Agave weberi is a relatively short suckering species, the leafy trunks rarely more than 1 m (3 ft) tall. The leaves, which may be arching or reflexed,[4] can be up to 1.6 m (5.2 ft) long and 18 cm (7 in) across. The flowering stalks can reach a height of 8 m (26 ft). The flowers are yellow, up to 8 cm (3 in) long.[5][6]

Taxonomy

There has been confusion as to the identity of this species. Agave weberi was first described in 1901 in a publication authored by Jules Poisson, who attributed the name to Jean Francois Cels.[1] The description was based on specimens cultivated in Paris, grown on from plants originally collected in Mexico, where they were reported to be cultivated for fiber and to make the alcoholic beverage pulque.[6] Later, in 1903, John Kunkel Small described Agave neglecta,[7] based on specimens from Florida.[8] A. neglecta has been regarded as endemic to Florida, but is now treated as the same species as the Mexican A. weberi and only naturalized in Florida through human agency.[9] A. weberi may be a cultivar derived from the wild species A. vivipara,[2] although an origin from A. sisalana or A. kewensis has also been suggested.[5]

Distribution

The distribution of Agave weberi is now determined by human activity.[9] It is believed to have originated in northeastern Mexico (San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas), and is now naturalized in Texas and Florida in the United States and in the Northern Provinces in South Africa.[2] In Florida, it is found in sandy soils, especially near the coasts.[5]

Conservation

Based on the belief that populations in Florida were a separate species, they were the subject of conservation concerns.[5][9]

Uses

Agave weberi is cultivated for its value as an ornamental plant, for the production of pulque, and for fiber.[4]

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References
  1. "Plant Name Details for Agave weberi J.F.Cels ex J.Poiss". The International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  2. "Agave weberi". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  3. Austin, Daniel F. (2004). "Agave". Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  4. Reveal, James L. & Hodgson, Wendy C. "Agave weberi". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America (online). eFloras.org. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  5. Reveal, James L. & Hodgson, Wendy C. "Agave neglecta". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America (online). eFloras.org. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  6. Poisson, Jules (1901), "Note sur l'Agave Weberi", Bulletin du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle (in French), 7 (5): 231–232, retrieved 2019-05-30
  7. "Plant Name Details for Agave neglecta Small". The International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  8. Small, John Kunkel (1903), "Agave neglecta", Flora of the Southeastern United States, New York, p. 289, OCLC 918431088
  9. Wunderlin, R.; Hansen, B.; Franck, A.R. & Essig, F.B. (2019). "Agave weberi". Atlas of Florida Plants. Institute for Systematic Botany. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
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