Agave decipiens

Baker

Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1892: 184. 1892.

Common names: Florida agave
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 452. Mentioned on page 443, 444.

Plants arborescent, trunks 1–3 (–4) m, frequently suckering; rosettes not cespitose, 10–15 × 15–20 dm. Leaves spreading to recurved, 70–100 (–200) × 7–10 cm; blade green, without budprints, linearlanceolate, rigid, adaxially concave toward apex, abaxially convex toward base; margins slightly wavy, armed, teeth single, 2–3 mm, 1–2 cm apart, often with some interstitial smaller teeth; apical spine dark-brown, conical, 1–2 cm. Scape 3–5 m. Inflorescences paniculate, often bulbiferous; bracts caducous; lateral branches 10–18, ascending, comprising distal 1/2 of inflorescence, longer than 4 cm. Flowers 15 or more per cluster, erect, 6–8 cm; perianth greenish yellow, tube funnelform, 11–13 × 4–6 mm, limb lobes incurved, drying reflexed on tube, subequal, 18–22 mm; stamens long-exserted; filaments inserted on 2 levels at or slightly above mid perianth-tube, erect, yellow, 4–5 cm; anthers yellow, 22–25 mm; ovary 4–5 cm, neck absent. Capsules short-pedicellate, ellipsoid to oblong, 3.5–5 cm, apex beaked. Seeds not seen. 2n = 120, 150, 160, 180, 190.


Phenology: Flowering mid fall–early winter.
Habitat: Sandy soil in hammocks
Elevation: 0 m

Discussion

Agave decipiens might have been introduced from Latin America by Native Americans; it is not otherwise known from the wild. The proliferation of chromosome numbers suggests prolonged human propagation and a probable hybrid origin. Until demonstrated otherwise, the species is considered a rare and localized native species known only from a few sites in southern Florida. H. S. Gentry (1982) discounted the suggestion that A. decipiens was found on the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico. He considered such plants to be A. angustifolia.

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.

... more about "Agave decipiens"
190 +, 180 +, 160 +, 150 +  and 120 +
longitudinal +
2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
width +  and length +
glandular-pubescent +  and glandular +
papillate +
linear +  and oblong or deltate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
James L. Reveal +  and Wendy C. Hodgson +
armed +  and filiferous +
convex +  and concave +
short to long +
reflexed +, erect +  and ascending +
scale-like +
umbel-like +
short-pedicellate +
ellipsoid +  and oblong +
3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
Florida agave +
fibrous-rooted +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
broadened +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
loculicidal +
oblong +  and ovoid +
Sandy soil in hammocks +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +
pseudopetiolate +, sessile +  and simple +
100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> (200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br />) +
evergreen +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
spreading +  and recurved +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
reflexed +  and incurved +
1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br /> (2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br />) +
dentate +, serrulate +  and entire +
fleshy +, firm +  and rigid +
constricted +
cylindrical +, ovoid +  and 3-angled +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +  and 5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
succulent +
not +  and articulate +
umbel-like +
greenish yellow +
semisucculent +
Flowering mid fall–early winter. +
Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew +
not cespitose +
300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br /> (500 cm5,000 mm <br />5 m <br />) +
globose +, obovoid +  and flattened +
semiwoody +
long-exserted +
branched +, , +  and unbranched +
aboveground +
3 +  and 1 +
papillate +
exserted +  and included +
subulate +
Agave decipiens +
species +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br /> (400 cm4,000 mm <br />4 m <br />) +
100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> (300 cm3,000 mm <br />3 m <br />) +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
4mm;6mm +
short-stemmed +, rhizomatous +, scapose +, caulescent +  and acaulescent +
polycarpic +  and monocarpic +
small;gigantic +
petal-like +