Agave schottii
| Agave schottii | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Agavoideae |
| Genus: | Agave |
| Species: | A. schottii |
| Binomial name | |
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Agave schottii Engelm. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Agave schottii, also known by the common name Schott's century plant, is a shrub species within the Agave genus. It is a member of the subgenus Littaea. There are two widely recognized varieties of this species: Agave schotti var. schottii and Agave schottii var. treleasei.
Agave schottii is native to North America. It is found in the United States of America, in the states of Arizona and New Mexico. In Arizona, it is confined to the southern part of the state, in the counties of Pima, Santa Cruz, Graham, and Cochise.Agave schottii is found only in the southwestern tip of New Mexico, in Hidalgo County. It is also found in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California.Agave schottii var. treleasei has the status of Highly Safeguarded Native Plant and Salvage restricted, and is only found in Arizona's Pima County.
This species grows in arid regions at elevations from 1,100–2,000 meters (3,609–6,562 feet) on sunny, open, gentle rocky slopes or in small drainages in high desert scrub, grassland, and juniper and oak woodlands on gneiss substrate. It grows on northern and eastern facing slopes where temperatures do not get very high compared to slopes with direct sunlight.
Individuals of this species are flowering shrubs. The Agave schottii, like other Agave species, are succulents with a rosette of thick, blue-green, finger-like leaves with sharp spines on their tips. The Agave schottii is different from other Agave in that the leaves do not have spines on its edges, which makes it a member of the Agave subgenus Littaea. Its leaves typically grow to a length of about 0.3 meters (0.98 feet). Because its height is about that of a human's shin, and because it has sharp, spiny leaves, this species has been given the common name "Shindagger."
The leaf rosettes are monocarpic. Its pale to bright yellow flowers are held on branches onto the stem. The flowers are spicate inflorescences, tubular in shape, and about 8 mm by 4 mm (0.31 in by 0.16 in) in size. Some members of this species, like the var. treleasei, have peniculate infloresences. The flowers of Agave schottii produce a pleasant, sweet fragrance.
The Agave schottii fruits are loculicidal capsules, which are dry fruits that split open to release seeds.
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Wikipedia