Yucca 73469 225875497 2008-07-15T20:30:53Z 88.115.35.210 {{otheruses1|the genus comprising species of perennials, shrubs, and trees}} {{Taxobox | name = ''Yucca'' | image = Yukka filamentosa.jpg | image_width = 220px | image_caption = ''Yucca filamentosa'' in [[New Zealand]] | regnum = [[Plant]]ae | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] | classis = [[Liliopsida]] | ordo = [[Asparagales]] | familia = [[Agavaceae]] | genus = '''''Yucca''''' | genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] | subdivision_ranks = [[Species]] | subdivision = many, see text }} The '''yuccas''' comprise the [[genus]] '''''Yucca''''' of 40-50 species of [[perennial plant|perennial]]s, [[shrub]]s, and [[tree]]s in the [[agave]] family [[Agavaceae]], notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped [[Leaf|leaves]] and large terminal clusters of white or whitish [[flower]]s. They are native to the hot and dry parts of [[North America]], [[Central America]], and the [[West Indies]]. Yuccas have a very specialized [[pollination]] system, being pollinated by the [[Prodoxidae|yucca moth]]; the insect purposefully transfers the pollen from the stamens of one plant to the stigma of another, and at the same time lays an egg in the flower; the moth larva then eats some of the developing seeds, but far from all. Yuccas are widely grown as [[ornamental plant]]s in gardens. Many yuccas also bear edible parts, including [[fruit]]s, [[seed]]s, flowers, flowering [[Plant stem|stems]], and more rarely [[root]]s, but use of these is sufficiently limited that references to yucca as food more often than not stem from confusion with the similarly spelled but botanically unrelated [[Cassava|yuca]]. Dried yucca has the lowest ignition temperature of any wood, making it desirable for fire-starting. The "yucca flower" is the [[List of U.S. state flowers|state flower]] of [[New Mexico]]. No species name is given in the citation. ==Distribution== [[Image:Yucca distribution capsular fruited species I southwest,midwest USA, Mexico Baja California, Canada overview I B.jpg|thumb|left|''Distribution of the capsular fruited species in southwest, midwest USA, Mexico Baja California and Canada. Overview I'']] [[Image:Section Yucca Series Faxonianae Yucca faxoniana fh 1183.30 TX en B.JPG|thumb|right|''[[Yucca faxoniana]]'' in Texas, with mature fruits.]] [[Image:Section Yucca (formerly Sarcocarpa) Series Treculianae Yucca schidigera fh 1183.9 NV en B.jpg|thumb|right| ''[[Yucca schidigera]]'' in Nevada, in full bloom.]] The natural distribution range of the genus Yucca (49 species and 24 subspecies) covers a vast area of north- and central America. From Baja California in the west, northwards into the southwestern USA, through the drier central states as far north as Canada (Alberta province, Yucca glauca ssp. albertana), and moving east along the Gulf of Mexico, and then north again, through the Atlantic coastal and inland neighbouring states. To the south, the genus is represented throughout Mexico and extends into Guatemala (Yucca elephantipes). Yuccas have adapted to an equally vast range of climatic and ecological conditions. They are to be found in rocky deserts and badlands, in prairies and grassland, in mountainous regions, in light woodland, in coastal sands (Yucca filamentosa), and even in sub-tropical and semi-temperate zones, although these are nearly always arid to semi-arid. == Species == {| class="wikitable" | || || ''[[Yucca aloifolia]]'' || Aloe yucca, Spanish Bayonet |- | [[Image:Joshua Tree in Joshua Tree National Park.jpg|120px]] || [[Image:Yucca brevifolia flower.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Yucca brevifolia]]'' || Joshua tree |- | || || ''[[Yucca constricta]]'' || Buckley's yucca |- | [[Image:Yucca baccata whole.jpg|120px]] || [[Image:Yucca baccata close.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Yucca baccata]]'' || Banana yucca, datil |- | [[Image:Yucca decipiens.jpg|120px]] || [[Image:Yucca decipiens 2.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Yucca decipiens]]'' || Palma China |- | [[Image:Yucca elata blooming.jpg|120px]] || [[Image:Yucca elata flowers.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Yucca elata]]'' || Soaptree yucca |- | [[Image:Yukka filamentosa.jpg|120px]] || [[Image:Yucca filamentosa1.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Yucca filamentosa]]'' || Spoonleaf yucca, Filament yucca, or [[Adam's Needle]] |- | || || ''[[Yucca filifera]]'' || Palma Chuna yucca |- | [[Image:Yucca flaccida.jpg|120px]] || || ''[[Yucca flaccida]]'' || Flaccid leaf yucca |- | [[Image:Yucca glauca soapweed MN 2007.JPG|120px]] || [[Image:Yucca glauca Sinijukka VII08 H6193.jpg|120px]] || ''[[Yucca glauca]]'' || Great Plains yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca gloriosa]]'' || Moundlily yucca, Adam's needle, Spanish Dagger |- | || || ''[[Yucca grandiflora]]'' || Sahuiliqui yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca guatemalensis]]'' || Spineless yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca harrimaniae]]'' || Harriman's yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca intermedia]]'' || Intermediate Yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca jaliscensis]]'' || Izote |- | || || ''[[Yucca kanabensis]]'' || Kanab yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca lacandonica]]'' || Tropical yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca madrensis]]'' || Soco yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca nana]]'' || Dwarf yucca |- | [[Image:Yucca pallida.jpg|120px]] || || ''[[Yucca pallida]]'' || Pale yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca periculosa]]'' || Izote |- | || || ''[[Yucca recurvifolia]]'' || Curve-leaf yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca rigida]]'' || Blue yucca |- | [[Image:Yucca rostrata.jpg|120px]] || || ''[[Yucca rostrata]]'' || Big Bend yucca |- | [[Image:Yucca rupicola.jpg|120px]] || || ''[[Yucca rupicola]]'' || Texas yucca, or Twist-leaf yucca |- | [[Image:Yucca schidigera blooming.jpg|120px]] || || ''[[Yucca schidigera]]'' || Mojave yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca schottii]]'' || Hoary yucca or Mountain yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca standleyi]]'' |- | [[Image:yucca brooklyn.jpg|120px]] || || ''[[Yucca thompsoniana]]'' || Thompson's Yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca thornberi]]'' |- | || || ''[[Yucca torreyi]]'' || Torrey yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca treculiana]]'' || Texas bayonette, Trecul's yucca |- | || || ''[[Yucca valida]]'' || Datilillo |- | || || ''[[Yucca yucatana]]'' || Yucatan yucca |- |} A number of other species previously classified in ''Yucca'' are now classified in the genera ''[[Dasylirion]]'', ''[[Furcraea]]'', ''[[Hesperaloe]]'', ''[[Hesperoyucca]]'' and ''[[Nolina]]''. ==Taxonomic arrangement== *Section Yucca früher Sarcocarpa <small>[[Georg Engelmann|Engelm.]]</small> **Series Faxonianae <small>[[Fritz Hochstätter|Hochstätter]]</small> ***''[[Yucca carnerosana]]'' <small>([[William Trelease|Trel.]]) [[Susan Adams McKelvey|McKelvey]]</small> ***''[[Yucca faxoniana]]'' <small>(Trel.) [[Charles Sprague Sargent|Sarg.]]</small> **Series Baccatae <small>Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca baccata]]'' <small>[[John Torrey|Torr.]]</small> ****''Yucca baccata'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''baccata'' ****''Yucca baccata'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''vespertina'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca baccata'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''thornberi'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca confinis]]'' <small>McKelvey</small> ***''[[Yucca endlichiana]]'' <small>Trel.</small> ***''[[Yucca arizonica]]'' <small>McKelvey</small> **Series Treculianae <small>Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca grandiflora]]'' <small>[[Howard Scott Gentry|Gentry]]</small> ***''[[Yucca declinata]]'' <small>[[Joseph E. Laferrière|Laferr.]]</small> ***''[[Yucca treculiana]]'' <small>[[Élie Abel Carrière|Carriere]]</small> ***''[[Yucca torreyi]]'' <small>[[John Adolph Shafer|Shafer]]</small> ***''[[Yucca schidgera]]'' <small>[[Benedikt Roezl|Roezl]] ex [[Karl Eduard Ortgies|Ortgies]]</small> ***''[[Yucca schotti]]'' <small>Engelm.</small> ***''[[Yucca capensis]]'' <small>[[Harald Othmar Lenz|Lenz]]</small> ***''[[Yucca jaliscensis]]'' <small>Trel.</small> ***''[[Yucca periculosa]]'' <small>[[John Gilbert Baker|Baker]]</small> ***''[[Yucca mixtecana]]'' <small>[[Abisai García-Mendoza|Garcia-Mend.]]</small> ***''[[Yucca decipiens]]'' <small>Trel.</small> ***''[[Yucca valida]]'' <small>[[Townshend Stith Brandegee|Brandegee]]</small> ***''[[Yucca potosina]]'' <small>[[Jerzy Rzedowski|Rzed.]]</small> ***''[[Yucca filifera]]'' <small>[[J. Benjamin Chabaud|Chabaud]]</small> **Series Gloriosae <small>Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca gloriosa]]'' <small>[[Carl von Linné|L.]]</small> ***''[[Yucca recurvifolia]]'' <small>[[Richard Anthony Salisbury|Salisb.]]</small> **Series Yucca ***''[[Yucca madrensis]]'' <small>Gentry</small> ***''[[Yucca linearifolia]]'' <small>[[Karen Husum Clary|Clary]]</small> ***''[[Yucca elephantipes]]'' <small>[[Eduard August von Regel|Regel]]</small> ***''[[Yucca lacandonica]]'' <small>Gomez-Pompa & [[Benito Valdés|Valdes]]</small> ***''[[Yucca aloifolia]]'' <small>L.</small> ***''[[Yucca yucatana]]'' <small>Engelm.</small> *Section Clistocarpa <small>Engelm.</small> ***''[[Yucca brevifolia]]'' <small>Engelm.</small>) ****''Yucca brevifolia'' <small>Engelm.</small> ssp. ''brevifolia'' ****''Yucca brevifolia'' <small>Engelm.</small> ssp. ''jaegeriana'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca brevifolia'' <small>Engelm.</small> ssp. ''herbertii'' <small>([[Herbert John Webber|Webber]]) Hochstätter</small> *Section Chaenocarpa <small>Engelm.</small> **Series Filamentosae <small>Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca filamentosa]]'' <small>L.</small> ****''Yucca filamentosa'' <small>L.</small> ssp. ''filamentosa'' ****''Yucca filamentosa'' <small>L.</small> ssp. ''smalliana'' <small>([[Merritt Lyndon Fernald|Fernald]]) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca filamentosa'' <small>L.</small> ssp. ''concava'' <small>([[Adrian Hardy Haworth|Haw.]]) Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca flaccida]]'' <small>Haw.</small> **Series Rupicolae <small>Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca cernua]]'' <small>[[James Keith|Keith]]</small> ***''[[Yucca pallida]]'' <small>McKelvey</small> ***''[[Yucca queretaroensis]]'' <small>Pina Lujan</small> ***''[[Yucca reverchonii]]'' <small>Trel.</small> ***''[[Yucca rigida]]'' <small>(Engelm.) Trel.</small> ***''[[Yucca rostrata]]'' <small>Engelm. ex Trel.</small> ***''[[Yucca rupicola]]'' <small>[[George Heinrich Adolf Scheele|Scheele]]</small> ***''[[Yucca thompsoniana]]'' <small>Trel.</small> **Series Harrimaniae <small>Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca harrimaniae]]'' <small>Trel.</small> ****''Yucca harrimaniae'' <small>Trel.</small> ssp. ''harrimaniae'' ****''Yucca harrimaniae'' <small>Trel.</small> ssp. ''neomexicana'' <small>([[Elmer Ottis Wooton|Wooton]] & [[Paul Carpenter Standley|Standl.]]) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca harrimaniae'' <small>Trel.</small> ssp. ''sterilis'' <small>(Neese & Welsh) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca harrimaniae'' <small>Trel.</small> ssp. ''gilbertiana'' <small>(Trel.) Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca nana]]'' <small>Hochstätter</small> **Series Glaucae <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca angustissima]]'' <small>Engelm. ex Trel.</small> ****''Yucca angustissima'' <small>Engelm. ex Trel.</small> ssp. ''angustissima'' ****''Yucca angustissima'' <small>Engelm. ex Trel.</small> ssp. ''toftiae'' <small>([[Henry Welsh|Welsh]]) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca angustissima'' <small>Engelm. ex Trel.</small> ssp. ''kanabensis'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca angustissima'' <small>Engelm. ex Trel.</small> ssp. ''avia'' <small>([[James Lauritz Reveal|Reveal]]) Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca baileyi]]'' <small>Wooton & Standl.</small> ****''Yucca baileyi'' <small>Wooton & Standl.</small> ssp. ''baileyi'' ****''Yucca baileyi'' <small>Wooton & Standl.</small> ssp. ''intermedia'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca coahuilensis]]'' <small>[[Eizi Matuda|Matuda]] & Pinja Lujan</small> ***''[[Yucca elata]]'' <small>Engelm.</small> ****''Yucca elata'' <small>Engelm.</small> ssp. ''elata'' ****''Yucca elata'' <small>Engelm.</small> ssp. ''utahensis'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca elata'' <small>Engelm.</small> ssp. ''verdiensis'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca glauca]]'' <small>[[Thomas Nuttall|Nutt.]]</small> ****''Yucca glauca'' <small>Nutt.</small> ssp. ''glauca'' ****''Yucca glauca'' <small>Nutt.</small> ssp. ''stricta'' <small>([[John Sims|Sims]]) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca glauca'' <small>Nutt.</small> ssp. ''albertana'' <small>Hochstätter</small> ***''[[Yucca campestris]]'' <small>McKelvey</small> ***''[[Yucca constricta]]'' <small>[[Samuel Botsford Buckley|Buckley]]</small> ***''[[Yucca arkansana]]'' <small>Trel.</small> ****''Yucca arkansana'' <small>Trel.</small> ssp. ''arkansana'' ****''Yucca arkansana'' <small>Trel.</small> ssp. ''louisianensis'' <small>(Trel.) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca arkansana'' <small>Trel.</small> ssp. ''freemanni'' <small>([[Lloyd Herbert Shinners|Shinners]]) Hochstätter</small> *Section Hesperoyucca <small>Engelm.</small> ***''[[Yucca whipplei]]'' <small>Torr.</small> ****''Yucca whipplei'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''whipplei'' ****''Yucca whipplei'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''caespitosa'' <small>([[William Jones|Jones]]) [[Henry Haselfoot Haines|Haines]]</small> ****''Yucca whipplei'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''intermedia'' <small>Haines</small> ****''Yucca whipplei'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''percursa'' <small>Haines</small> ****''Yucca whipplei'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''newberryi'' <small>(McKelvey) Hochstätter</small> ****''Yucca whipplei'' <small>Torr.</small> ssp. ''eremica'' <small>[[Carl Clawson Epling|Epling]] & Haines</small> ==Cultivars== In the years from 1897 to 1907, [[Carl Ludwig Sprenger]] created and named 122 Yucca hybrids. ==Other facts== Because of their omnipresence in the southwestern [[United States]], yuccas have lent their name to several places: * [[Yucca, Arizona]] * [[Yucca Valley, California]] * [[Yucca Mountain]], [[Nevada]] * [[Yucca House National Monument]] Yuccas are [http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html poisonous to rabbits]. == References == * Fritz Hochstätter (Hrsg.): '' Yucca (Agavaceae). Band 1 Dehiscent-fruited species in the Southwest and Midwest of the USA, Canada and Baja California '', Selbst Verlag, 2000. ISBN 3-00-005946-6 * Fritz Hochstätter (Hrsg.): '' Yucca (Agavaceae). Band 2 Indehiscent-fruited species in the Southwest, Midwest and East of the USA'', Selbst Verlag. 2002. ISBN 3-00-009008-8 * Fritz Hochstätter (Hrsg.): '' Yucca (Agavaceae). Band 3 Mexico '', Selbst Verlag, 2004. ISBN 3-00-013124-8 * M. & G. Irish, ''Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants: a Gardener's Guide'' (Timber Press, 2000). ISBN 0-88192-442-3 * [http://www.yuccaagavaceae.com/species.html Common names of yucca species] * Die [http://yuccaagavaceae.com/species.html Gattung Yucca] Fritz Hochstätter * Yucca I [http://yuccaagavaceae.com/photos/details.php?image_id=88] Verbreitungskarte I Fritz Hochstätter *[http://herbarium.uvsc.edu/Virtual/search.asp?s=genus&p=1&n=15751&t=Yucca UVSC Herbarium - Yucca] *[http://nxt.ella.net/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates$fn=default.htm$vid=nm:all New Mexico Statutes and Court Rules: State Flower] {{Commons|Yucca}} == Gallery == <gallery> Image:Joshuatreescape.jpg|Joshua Trees(''Yucca brevifolia''), growing in the [[Mojave Desert]] Image:DirkvdM green on blue plant.jpg|Unknown species near [[Orosí]], [[Costa Rica]]. Image:Yucca-closeup.JPG|Yucca near [[Carlsbad Caverns National Park]] in [[New Mexico]]. </gallery> [[Category:Agavaceae]] [[Category:Plants and pollinators]] [[Category:Deserts of North America]] [[da:Yucca]] [[de:Yucca]] [[es:Yucca]] [[fr:Yucca]] [[it:Yucca]] [[he:יוקה]] [[la:Yucca]] [[lt:Juka]] [[nl:Yucca]] [[ja:ユッカ]] [[pl:Jukka]] [[pt:Yucca]] [[ro:Yucca]] [[ru:Юкка]] [[simple:Yucca]] [[sv:Palmliljesläktet]]