Polianthes tuberosa

The tuberose ( Agave polianthes ), Spanish: " Leonardo ", " amole ", " tuberosa " or " vara de San José " (Josef rod), is a species of the genus Agave ( Agave ) in the subfamily of the agave ( Agavoideae ). The specific epithet is derived polianthes Polios from the Greek words for ' gray ', ' whitish ' and anthos for, bloom ', but also of Polion, a highly fragrant mint and refers to the whitish and strongly scented flowers of the Art

Description

Agave polianthes grows as a basal rosette with six to ten deciduous leaves, which arise from a zwiebeligen basis. Their roots are fleshy. The soft, linealischen, bright green leaves that are sometimes reddish near the base, occasionally have brown spots on the underside. They are 30 to 60 inches long and 1 to 1.5 inches wide.

The eared inflorescence is 60 to 100 inches high. In the upper 20 cm (or more) sitting at 20 or more knots the paired flowers. The fragrant flowers are usually seated and 25 to 40 millimeters long. Your tepals are waxy white. The flower tube is bent outwardly from below the center periodically, like a funnel to the bending and has a diameter of the oblique opening 7-8 mm. The almost equal, elliptic - ovate petals are pointed stump and usually 15 to 18 mm long and 7-10 mm wide. The stamens and the style does not stand out.

Systematics and distribution

Agave polianthes is known only from the culture. You probably originates from Mexico.

Linnaeus took his description as Polianthes tuberosa in Species Plantarum based on cultivated plants in India before. Joachim Thiede and Urs Eggli set the style in 1999 as Agave tuberosa in the genus Agave, however, overlooked the fact the older name Agave tuberosa million, which forms the basionym for today's kind Furcraea tuberosa. 2001 beat Thiede and Eggli Agave polianthes ago as the new name.

The species belongs to the subgenus Manfreda, where it is the Polianthes group assigned.

Use

The tuberose is grown in large quantities for the cut flower market, which mainly double varieties are marketed.

Botanical history

The tuberose is known at least since 1601 in Europe. A first illustration of the plant is located in Charles de l' Ecluse work Rariorum plantarum historia.

Evidence

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