Agave lechuguilla
Agave lechuguilla
Agave lechuguilla is a species of the genus Agave ( Agave ) in the subfamily of the agave ( Agavoideae ). English common names are " Shin Dagger " and " Lechuguilla ".
Description
Agave lechuguilla grows with fairly open rosettes of 30 to 50 centimeters in height form the numerous offshoots. The few, thick, usually ascending to erect, sometimes falcate outstretched leaves are linear - lanceolate. They are deeply convex towards the base and the blade tip to be concave. The pale - green or yellow, sometimes green patterned leaves are 25 to 50 centimeters long and 2.5 to 4 centimeters wide. The light brown to gray leaf margin is straight. Are to him at a distance of usually 1.5 to 3 centimeters brown or light gray, usually bent, regularly large edge teeth 2-5 mm in length. The strong conical to pfriemliche Enddorn is greyish and 1.5 to 4 inches long.
The 2.5 to 3.5 -meter-high " eared " inflorescence has a glauken shaft. The partial inflorescences usually have 2 to 3 flowers which are stalked and 30 to 45 millimeters long. Your tepals are tinged with yellow or red or purple. They have almost the same tip 13 to 20 millimeters in length. The open flower tube is 2.5 to 4 millimeters long.
The chromosome number is 2n = 120
The flowering period extends from May to July.
Systematics and distribution
Agave lechuguilla is common in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Hidalgo and Mexico and the United States in Texas and southern New Mexico at altitude 500-2300 meters. It grows in dense colonies, sometimes on rocky slopes, in open grassland and woodland in different soil formations. It is associated with numerous species of succulents and cacti.
The first description was published in 1858 by John Torrey. Synonyms are Agave poselgeri Salm- Dyck, Agave Agave multilinealta Baker hetaracantha Hort.
Agave lechuguilla is a representative of Marginatae group. The species is a widespread and characteristic element of various formations of the Chihuahuan Desert. Differences in shape, size and structure of flowers colonies in Texas and settled in higher regions of colonies in Coahuila become clear. It resembles Agave lophantha, however differences in leaf structure can be seen. You hybridized with agave havardiana, Agave and Agave gracilipes lophantha. Individuals are cultivated in the Botanical Garden Huntington in San Marino, California. Can lechuguilla Agave in dry state tolerate frosts down to minus 15 ° C.
Use
Agave lechuguilla is for extraction of fibers ( " Ixtle fibers " ), both cultivated and wild harvested. The fibers brooms, brushes, mats and ropes are made . The individual cells are an average of 0.92 mm in length and 27.0 microns in diameter very short and thick and can not be spin (necessary minimum length: 25 mm).