New names in Arizona Agave

Hodgson, W.C. (2001) TAXONOMIC NOVELTIES IN ARIZONA AGAVE (AGAVACEAE). Novon 11 (4): 410-416, 2 figs.

A new freely suckering tetraploid species allied to A.palmeri and A.delamateri and found only in four sites withing Grand Canyon National Park is named A.phillpisiana in honor of Arthur Phillips III, who brought the plant to the attention of Hodson in 1994. The plants are found near pre-Columbian Kayenta-Anasazi habitation sites. Hodgson does not believe the species to be of hybrid origin but it is rather suggestive of a hybrid between A.palmeri and A.americana var. expansa.

Agave phillipsiana Hodgson p.410, fig.1

*****************

The two subspecies Gentry recognized under Agave deserti are reduced to variety status.

Agave deserti var. pringlei (Engelmann ex Baker) Hodgson & Reveal p.413
syn. Agave pringlei Engelmann ex Baker; Agave deserti ssp. pringlei (Engelmann ex Baker) Gentry

Agave deserti var. simplex (Gentry) Hodgson & Reveal p.413
syn. Agave deserti ssp. simplex Gentry

*****************

A sterile triploid hybrid between A.deserti var. simplex and A.schottii var. schottii found only in the Ajo mountains in Organ Pipe National Monument is name A. x ajoensis. The leaves are light green, sometimes with a lighter green midstripe, with reddish brown and white margins that are neither toothed nor filamentous.

Agave x ajoensis Hodgson p.414, fig.2

*****************

Cereusly Steve


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]