Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Mountain Agave

(Agave montana)

galery
en

Description

Agave montana is aof plant in the genus Agave (Agave). The German translation of the species name is Bergagave. Agave montana grows solitarily. It is 90 to 125 cm high and 140 to 170 cm wide. The yellow to green colored, elliptical, variably arranged leaves are 30 to 40 cm long and 15 to 17 cm wide. The leaf margins are irregularly toothed. The reddish to dark brown terminal spine is 3 to 5 cm long. The paniculate, strong, straight to ovate inflorescence is 3 to 5 m high. The green to yellow, numerous flowers are 60 to 70 mm long, appear at the top of the inflorescence and form to the apex at the loosely and variably arranged branches. The flower tube is up to 20 mm long. The flowering period extends from April to May. The oblong, dark brown, three-chambered capsule fruits are 50 to 60 mm long and 15 to 20 mm wide. The black, shiny seeds are 5 to 6 mm long and 3 to 4 mm wide. Agave montana is a representative of the Salmianae group. The giant of the Salmianae forms hemispherical, compact rosettes with a diameter of up to 170 cm. Agave montana is closely related to Agave gentryi and the Parryanae group Agave parrasana, but there are differences in size, leaf and flower structure. Intermediate forms are known in the overlap areas of Agave montana and Agave gentryi. Agave montana grows in Mexico in the states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas on limestone slopes in woodland at 3000 to 3400 m altitude and can be found scattered on limestone slopes of the high mountain regions of the Sierra de la Marta, among others. It grows in inhospitable areas with severe frosts in the winter months and can survive short periods of frost down to minus 15 °C if it is dry. It is associated with pine, agave gentryi, yucca carnerosana and cactus species. The first description by José Angel Villarreal-Quintanilla was published in 1996. Agave is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas, although some Agave species are also native to tropical areas of South America. The genus Agave (from the Ancient Greek αγαυή, agauê) is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Agave now includes species formerly placed in a number of other genera, such as Manfreda, ×Mangave, Polianthes and Prochnyanthes. Many plants in this genus may be considered perennial, because they require several to many years to mature and flower.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Liliopsida
Order:Asparagales
Family:Asparagaceae
Genus:Agave
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