Agavaceae
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{{Taxobox
| name = Agave family
| image = Agave americana a-m.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = ''[[Agave americana]]''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
| familia = '''Agavaceae'''
| familia_authority = Hutchinson
| type_genus = ''[[Agave]]''
| type_genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision =
See text.
}}
'''Agavaceae''' is a [[family (biology)|family]] of [[plant]]s that includes many well-known [[desert]] and dry zone types such as the [[agave]], [[yucca]], and [[Joshua tree]]. The family includes about 550-600 [[species]] in around 18 [[genus|genera]], and is widespread in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world.
The circumscription of this family has varied widely. Some genera (e.g. ''[[Cordyline]]'' and ''[[Dracaena (plant)|Dracaena]]'') are sometimes separated off into a separate family, [[Dracaenaceae]], though recent research has tended to incorporate these into a larger family [[Ruscaceae]]. ''Nolina'', ''Beaucarnea'', and ''Dasylirion'' are sometimes recognized as Nolinaceae or placed in Ruscaceae. Conversely, data from [[molecular systematics]] now suggest that Agavaceae should be broadened to include a number of genera previously classified elsewhere, among them ''[[Chlorogalum]]'', ''[[Camassia]]'' and the family [[Anthericaceae]] with anything up to 22 additional genera. The [[Angiosperm Phylogeny Group]]'s APG II classification places Agavaceae, along with a number of other families (including Ruscaceae) in an expanded family [[Asparagaceae]]. However, APG II allows the alternative of keeping some of these families, including Agavaceae, separate, though in this case it recommends expanding the family to include the genera currently classified in [[Anemarrhenaceae]], [[Anthericaceae]] (with ''Anthericum'' and ''Paradisea''), [[Behniaceae]] and [[Herreriaceae]]. Most references have retained Agavaceae (in varying circumscriptions) as a family distinct from Asparagaceae. ''[[Hesperocallis]]'', sometimes placed in its own family, Hesperocallideaceae, has recently been shown to be closely related and its inclusion in Agavaceae has been recommended (Pires et al. 2004).
Species may be [[succulent]] or not. In general, Agavaceae leaves occur as rosettes at the end of a woody stem, which may range from extremely short to tree-like heights, as in the Joshua tree. The leaves are parallel-veined, and usually appear long and pointed, often with a hardened spine on the end, and sometimes with additional spines along the margins.
''Agave'' species are used to make [[pulque]] and [[mezcal]], while others are valued for their fibers. They are quite popular for [[xeriscaping]], many types having showy flowers.
== Genera ==
*''[[Agave]]''
*''[[Anemarrhena]]''
*''[[Behnia]]''
*''[[Beschorneria]]''
*''[[Bravoa]]''
*''[[Camassia]]''
*''[[Chlorogalum]]''
*''[[Chlorophytum]]''
*''[[Clistoyucca]]''
*''[[Eremocrinum]]''
*''[[Furcraea]]''
*''[[Herreria (genus)|Herreria]]''
*''[[Hesperaloe]]''
*''[[Hesperocallis]]''
*''[[Hesperoyucca]]''
*''[[Hosta]]''
*''[[Littaea]]''
*''[[Manfreda]]''
*''[[Polianthes]]''
*''[[Prochnyanthes]]''
*''[[Pseudobravoa]]''
*''[[Samuela]]''
*''[[Yucca]]''
{{commonscat|Agavaceae}}
==References==
* {{cite journal|author=D. J. Bogler, J. C. Pires and J. Francisco-Ortega| date=2006 |title=Phylogeny of Agavaceae based on ndhF, rbcL, and its sequences: implications of molecular data for classification| journal=Aliso |volume=22 |pages=313–328}}
* {{cite journal| url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0363-6445%28199504%2F06%2920%3A2%3C191%3AACDSOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-L |author= David J. Bogler and Beryl B. Simpson| date=1995| title=A Chloroplast DNA Study of the Agavaceae| journal=Systematic Botany| volume=20 |pages=191–205| doi=10.2307/2419449}}
* {{cite journal| url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-9122%28199609%2983%3A9%3C1225%3APOABOI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6 |author=David J. Bogler and Beryl B. Simpson |date=1996| title=Phylogeny of Agavaceae Based on ITS rDNA Sequence Variation| journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=83| pages=1225–1235| month=Sep| year=1996| issue=9| doi=10.2307/2446206}}
* {{cite journal| author=J. C. Pires, I. J. Maureira, J. P. Rebman, G. A. Salazar, L. I. Cabrera, M. F. Fay, and M. W. Chase| date=2004| title=Molecular data confirm the phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic ''Hesperocallis'' (Hesperocallidaceae) with ''Agave''| journal=Madroño| volume=51| pages=307–311}}
==External links==
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=10019 Agavaceae] in Flora of North America.
* [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/agavacea.htm Agavaceae] in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval.
* [http://www.agavaceae.info Die Agaven.]
[[Category:Plant families]]
[[Category:Agavaceae| ]]
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[[da:Agave-familien]]
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[[ja:リュウゼツラン科]]
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