Nolina microcarpa
Nolina
beargrass, palmilla, sacahuista
beargrass
to 25 dm.
blades wiry, lax, concavo-convex, 80–130 cm 5–12 mm, not glaucous;
margins serrulate, with close-set, cartilaginous teeth;
apex lacerate;
inflorescence leaf blades curling distally, 10–50 cm.
forming rosettes;
blade linear, not rigid or fibrous, bases broadly expanding, margins serrulate or entire.
3–15 dm, 1.2–2.5 cm diam.
0.5–25 dm.
paniculate, 4–12 dm × 10–30 cm, surpassing leaves;
bracts caducous, rarely persistent;
bractlets 2–5 mm, slightly erose.
paniculate, rarely racemose, 3–18 dm;
bracts caducous or occasionally persistent.
tepals white, 1.5–3.3 mm;
fertile stamens: filaments 1.6–1.9 mm, anthers 1.2–1.4 mm;
infertile stamens: filaments 0.9–1.2 mm, anthers 0.3–0.5 mm; fruiting pedicel erect, proximal to joint 1–2 mm, distal to joint 3–6 mm.
2–5 per node, functionally unisexual, pistillate flowers with staminodes, staminate flowers with reduced pistils;
tepals white to cream or tan, 1.3–5 mm, apex glandular;
ovary superior;
pedicel jointed near middle.
capsular, 3-locular, 3-lobed, thin-walled or sometimes firm-walled, often inflated, mostly notched at base and apex or rounded distally;
dehiscent, often splitting irregularly.
hyaline, thin-walled, inflated, 4.2–6 × 5.4–6.4 mm, indistinctly notched at apex.
loosely invested in capsules, compressed, 2.2–3.4 × 1.5–3 mm.
closely or loosely invested in capsules, globose, turgid.
= 19.
= 38.
Nolina microcarpa
Nolina
D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston (1970) included Nolina microcarpa in their flora of Texas; however, they reported that they had seen no specimen from that state, nor have I. This species is found primarily from western New Mexico through central Arizona. It forms large clumps up to 2 m in diameter and inflorescences that generally are exserted from the basal leaf rosettes. Considerable variation occurs, some of it geographically restricted to southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Most such plants from the latter areas have been referred to N. texana or N. caudata, but are here included in N. microcarpa. In the Grand Canyon area, there are variants that have been referred to N. parryi because in width the leaves approach those of N. parryi and they are serrulate. These plants, however, are acaulescent and also are here included in N. microcarpa. B. J. Albee et al. (1988) reported N. microcarpa on rocky slopes in canyons in Washington County, Utah, but the more recent online version of that work excludes it from Utah.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species ca. 30 (14 in the flora).
In areas of west Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, the species of Nolina are not always well defined. There is variation in the presence or absence of marginal teeth on the leaves and placement of the inflorescences within or beyond the leaves. Collectors should take good notes about the plant habit and morphology and include these with their collections. Further study is needed on Nolina throughout its range. Some species of Nolina are extremely infrequent. Some are on federal and/or state rare and endangered species lists, and possibly some of those listed with a state should be listed federally.
J. C. Dice (1988) studied section Arborescens of Nolina in the United States, and presented extensive descriptions and discussion of N. bigelovii, N. parryi, N. cismontana, and N. interrata.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Plants caulescent. | → 2 |
1. Plants acaulescent. | → 5 |
2. Leaf margins entire, filiferous. | N. bigelovii |
2. Leaf margins serrulate, not filiferous. | → 3 |
3. Inflorescence bracts caducous; Texas. | N. erumpens |
3. Inflorescence bracts persistent; California. | → 4 |
4. Stems to 4 dm, occasionally to 15 dm; leaf blades 12–30 mm wide; scape 14–35 mm diam. at base. | N. cismontana |
4. Stems 5–21 dm; leaf blades 20–40 mm wide; scape 26–90 mm diam. at base. | N. parryi |
5. Subterranean caudices horizontal; leaf blades glaucous, 1.2–3.5 cm wide; California. | N. interrata |
5. Subterranean caudices vertical; leaf blades not glaucous, or if glaucous then no more than 8 mm wide; Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas. | → 6 |
6. Leaf margins entire or only slightly roughened, with widely separated, noncartilaginous teeth. | → 7 |
6. Leaf margins serrulate, with close-set, cartilaginous teeth, or occasionally entire. | → 9 |
7. Inflorescences usually conspicuously tinged purple, main rachis and divisions slender, flexible; fruiting pedicels slender distal to joint, typically to 2.5 mm, articulate near middle, not noticeably dilated; tepals 1.9–3.2 mm; se New Mexico, w Texas. | N. micrantha |
7. Inflorescences not purple or rarely so, main rachis and divisions thick, rigid; fruiting pedicels thick distal to joint, (1–)4–7 mm, articulate near base, noticeably dilated into perianths; tepals 2–3.5 mm; s New Mexico, Texas. | → 8 |
8. Leaf blades slightly concavo-convex toward base, triangular, 2–4(–7) mm wide; inflorescences 25–70 cm, lateral branches ascending; seeds 2.6–3.4 mm diam.; rocky habitats of limestone; s New Mexico, Texas. | N. texana |
8. Leaf blades flat or concavo-convex, 5–10 mm wide; inflorescences 40–70 cm, lateral branches spreading; seeds 4.3 mm diam.; sandy soils or dunes; w Texas. | N. arenicola |
9. Leaf blades flattened. | → 10 |
9. Leaf blades concavo-convex. | → 12 |
10. Capsules 6–11 mm diam. | N. lindheimeriana |
10. Capsules 3.5–7 mm diam. | → 11 |
11. Capsules asymmetrical, up to 5.5 mm diam.; seeds closely invested in capsules; Florida. | N. atopocarpa |
11. Capsules symmetrical, 5–7 mm diam.; seeds loosely invested in capsules; Georgia, South Carolina. | N. georgiana |
12. Capsules 8–12 mm diam. | N. brittoniana |
12. Capsules 3.5–6.4 mm diam. | → 13 |
13. Bracts persistent; capsules distinctly notched distally; se Colorado, e New Mexico, w Oklahoma. | N. greenei |
13. Bracts caducous; capsules indistinctly notched apically; Arizona, New Mexico, Texas. | → 14 |
14. Fruiting pedicels distal to joint to 2.5 mm; inflorescences not surpassing leaves; seeds 1.5–2.5 mm; w Texas. | N. erumpens |
14. Fruiting pedicels distal to joint 3–6 mm; inflorescences surpassing leaves; seeds 2.2–3.4 mm; Arizona, New Mexico. | N. microcarpa |
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