Agave americana var. expansa

(Jacobi) Gentry

Agave Fam. Sonora, 80. 1972.

Common names: Spreading century plant
Basionym: Agave expansa Jacobi Abh. Schles. Ges. Vaterl. Cult., Abth. Naturwiss. (Naturwiss.-Med. Abth.) 1868: 151. 1868
Synonyms: Agave abrupta Trelease
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 453. Mentioned on page 443, 454.

Plants short-stemmed; rosettes dense. Leaves erect, 120–150 × 18–24 cm; blade glaucous-gray to green, typically cross-zoned; margins nearly straight to crenate, teeth 5–8 mm; apical spine conical, 2–3 cm. Scape 7–9 m. Inflorescences: lateral branches 20–30. Flowers 7–8.5 cm; perianth-tube 13–14 mm; ovary 3.5–4 cm. Capsules not seen. Seeds unknown. 2n = 120.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Sandy places in desert scrub and grasslands
Elevation: 500–1300 m

Discussion

The wild expression of Agave americana var. expansa is technically a variant of subsp. americana. A cultivar derived from var. expansa was introduced into western Europe, where it was first named. That cultivar is planted occasionally in the warmer regions of the United States; it is not naturalized. The var. expansa has never been found in fruit, but it is likely that it itself is an early cultivar developed by pre-Columbian people who established it far to the west of the species range in eastern Mexico. Reproduction in var. expansa is strictly vegetative.

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 +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
James L. Reveal +  and Wendy C. Hodgson +
(Jacobi) Gentry +
Agave expansa +
armed +  and filiferous +
cross-zoned +, glaucous-gray +  and green +
convex +, 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 +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
Spreading century plant +
fibrous-rooted +
Ariz. +  and w Mexico +
500–1300 m +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
broadened +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (8.5 cm85 mm <br />0.085 m <br />) +
cultivated +
loculicidal +
oblong +  and ovoid +
Sandy places in desert scrub and grasslands +
1/3 +  and 1/2 +
horizontal +  and slightly ascending +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (?) +
pseudopetiolate +, sessile +  and simple +
evergreen +
120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br /> (150 cm1,500 mm <br />1.5 m <br />) +
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (24 cm240 mm <br />0.24 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 +
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 +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (?) +  and 4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +
succulent +
not +  and articulate +
umbel-like +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br />) +
12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
semisucculent +
Flowering late spring–early summer. +
Agave Fam. Sonora, +
not cespitose +
700 cm7,000 mm <br />7 m <br /> (900 cm9,000 mm <br />9 m <br />) +
globose +, obovoid +  and flattened +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 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 abrupta +
Agave americana var. expansa +
Agave americana subsp. americana +
variety +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br />) +
subequal +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
polycarpic +  and monocarpic +
small;gigantic +
petal-like +