Beaucarnea gracilis
Beaucarnea gracilis is a species of the genus Beaucarnea in the family of asparagus plants ( Asparagaceae ). An English common name is " Ponytail Palm, Sotolin, Tehuacan Valley Beaucarnea ".
Description
Beaucarnea gracilis grows tree -shaped to 14 m in height with irregular branches. It forms a strongly thickened caudex. The stiff, warty, linealischen, bluish, at the leaf margins finely toothed leaves are 30-60 cm long and 4-7 mm wide.
The Rispige inflorescence is 100 to 150 cm tall with 30 to 40 cm wide, irregularly arrange ended branches. The flowers are cream to white.
The spherical to ovoid capsule fruit contains one seed and are 7-9 mm long and 10 mm wide. The triangular seeds are up to 3 mm in diameter.
Systematics and distribution
Beaucarnea gracilis grows endemically in Mexico in the state of Oaxaca in xerophytes region. It is associated with Yucca periculosa, Agave marmorata, Agave triangularis and various coryphantha and Mammillaria species.
The first description was in 1861 by Charles Lemaire. Some of the numerous synonyms are Beaucarnea oedipusRose (1906 ) and Pincenectitia gracilisLem. (1861 ).
Beaucarnea gracilis is a member of the Section Papillatea. The species is endemic to the semiarid Tehucan Valley in the state of Oaxaca. Characteristic features are the slender, irregularly branched trees with the thickened basal caudex. Typical are the stiff, bluish leaves with fine teeth, leaf margins. In the botanical garden in Hanbury in La Mortola, Italy imposing copies can be visited. The flowering time in culture in summer.