Contains 3 accepted taxa overall.
Characteristics
Classification
Citation
YUCCA Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 319. 1753.
-
TYPE: Yucca aloifolia Linnaeus Lectotypified by Britton & Shafer, N. Amer. Trees 151. 1908.
Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Herbarium Specimens | Status | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yucca aloifolia | SPANISH BAYONET; ALOE YUCCA | Native UPL (NWPL) | ||
| Yucca filamentosa | ADAM'S NEEDLE | Native | ||
| Yucca gloriosa | MOUNDLILY YUCCA | Native Endangered-State FAC (NWPL) |
[Family identification key]
1. Acaulescent; leaves with marginal fibers; fruits dehiscent, erect
2
1. Generally short- to tall-caulescent; leaves lacking marginal fibers (rarely filiferous); fruits indehiscent, pendent or occasionally erect
4
2. Leaves broadly involute, especially at the tip, the marginal fibers lax, to 20 cm long, overlapping and attached to proceeding fibers; inflorescence branches strongly ascending to strict; sepals much narrower than petals; stamens shorter than the pistil; styles erect, slightly narrower than the ovary; fruits sometimes constricted medially
2. Leaves plane, the marginal fibers stiff, rarely exceeding 4 cm, shorter than the distance between the bases of adjacent fibers; inflorescence branches divergent to spreading; sepals slightly narrower than petals; stamens longer than the pistil; styles diverging, much narrower than the ovary; fruits not constricted medially
3
3. Inflorescence glabrous
3. Inflorescence pubescent
4. Stems (excluding inflorescence) to 10+ m tall, proximal and basal portions of stem naked and devoid of leaves, distally stems usually with numerous green deflexed leaves and numerous old non-green deflexed leaves; leaves >0.5 m long; cultivated only
5
4. Stems (excluding inflorescence) usually <4 m tall, rarely to 7 m, stem usually completely covered in leaves including deflexed old non-green persistent leaves; leaves <0.7 m long, rarely to 1 m long; native and cultivated
6
5. Base of trunk straight and hardly enlarged, buttress root-like angled; stems somewhat brittle, usually clothed in deflexed, old non-green leaves; leaves 1-1.4 m long, 8-10 cm wide
5. Base of trunk enlarged, fat-footed, rounded; stems somewhat sturdy, usually devoid of deflexed, old non-green leaves; leaves 0.5-0.9(1) m long, 5-8 cm wide
6. Leaves dark to light green, occasionally grayish or bluish green, stiffly erect to spreading (infrequently laxly recurved), margin sharpy denticulate, rarely subentire; tepals 3-4 cm long; filaments 1.8-2.2 cm long; anthers 2-3 mm long; style 4-7 mm long; fruits fleshy and succulent
6. Leaves green to blue-green or glaucous, erect or recurved, margin entire to roughened-minutely denticulate; tepals 4-5 cm long; filaments 2.2-2.8 cm long; anthers 3-4 mm long; style 6-11 mm long; fruits dry and spongy or leathery
7
7. Leaf blade mostly erect, rigid; inflorescences extending well beyond rosettes; fruit pendent, 5.5-8 cm long
7. Leaf blade mostly recurving, flexible; inflorescences barely extending beyond rosettes; fruit mostly erect, 2.5-4.5 cm long
Genus Synonyms
| Synonym | Full Citation | Basionym | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| No synonyms found. | |||