Flora of North America species comparison

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Yucca treculeana

Yucca schidigera

Don Quixote's lace, izote de chocha, palma pita, Spanish dagger, Trecul yucca

Mohave yucca, Mojave yucca, Spanish dagger
Habit Plants often forming colonies of rosettes, arborescent, to 7 m; rosettes with leaves hanging at various angles, giving an overall ragged appearance. Plants forming colonies of rosettes, shrubby, caulescent, to 5 m. Stems 1–8, simple or sparingly branched.
Stems

1–8, occasionally 2–5-branched, 14–15 cm diam.

Leaf

blade erect, yellowish to bluish green, usually U- or V-shaped in cross section, thick, 36–128 × 1.6–7 cm, rigid, scabrous, margins entire, filiferous with straight, coarse fibers, light brown.

blade erect, yelloish green, sword-shaped, broadest at middle, markedly concave, thick, 33–130 × 3–5 cm, rigid, glabrous, margins entire, filiferous with coarse fibers.
Inflorescences

erect, paniculate, arising mostly within rosettes, variable in shape, usually ovoid, 18 dm, glabrous, rarely slightly pubescent;

peduncle scapelike, 0.3 m or longer.

erect, paniculate, dense, arising entirely within or scarcely beyond rosettes, obovoid or ellipsoid and flat distally, 3–6 dm;

peduncle scapelike, to 4 dm.
Flowers

pendent;

perianth globose;

tepals distinct, cream-colored, occasionally tinged with purple, ovate, 2.7–8.1 × 1–3.4 cm, apex rounded or acute;

filaments 1–2.7 cm, short-pubescent proximally;

anthers 1–6 mm;

pistil 1.5–3.5 × 0.5–1 cm;

ovary 1.3–3.3 cm;

style 2–8 mm;

stigmas distinct.

pendent;

perianth globose;

tepals spreading, distinct, white or cream, lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, 3–5(–7.5) × 1–1.8 cm;

filaments 2–2.5 cm, papillose at base;

anthers 3.2 mm;

pistil 1.8 × 2.5 cm;

ovary 1.7–2.7 × 0.7–1.2 cm, apex abruptly tapered;

style 1–2 mm;

stigmas distinct.
Fruits

pendent, baccate, indehiscent, 4.4–18.7 × 1.8–4.6 cm, fleshy, succulent.

pendent, baccate, indehiscent, elongate, cylindrical, 5–11.5 × 3–4 cm, fleshy, succulent.
Seeds

black, 5–14 mm diam., 1–5 mm thick.

gray, 8–11 mm diam., 6–9 mm thick, rugose.

Yucca treculeana

Yucca schidigera
Phenology Flowering mid winter–spring. Flowering late winter–early spring.
Habitat Grassy or rocky slopes or mesas, brushland, chaparral Deserts and chaparral, rocky or gravelly mountain slopes
Elevation 0–1600 m (0–5200 ft) 300–1200 m (1000–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; TX; n Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Yucca schidigera is usually used for landscaping in the southwest and by Native Americans for food and fiber. Capsules made from inflorescence stalks are sold as natural health products.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 428. FNA vol. 26, p. 429.
Parent taxa Agavaceae > Yucca Agavaceae > Yucca
Sibling taxa
Y. aloifolia, Y. angustissima, Y. arkansana, Y. baccata, Y. baileyi, Y. brevifolia, Y. campestris, Y. constricta, Y. elata, Y. faxoniana, Y. filamentosa, Y. flaccida, Y. glauca, Y. gloriosa, Y. harrimaniae, Y. intermedia, Y. madrensis, Y. necopina, Y. neomexicana, Y. pallida, Y. reverchonii, Y. rostrata, Y. rupicola, Y. schidigera, Y. tenuistyla, Y. thompsoniana, Y. utahensis
Y. aloifolia, Y. angustissima, Y. arkansana, Y. baccata, Y. baileyi, Y. brevifolia, Y. campestris, Y. constricta, Y. elata, Y. faxoniana, Y. filamentosa, Y. flaccida, Y. glauca, Y. gloriosa, Y. harrimaniae, Y. intermedia, Y. madrensis, Y. necopina, Y. neomexicana, Y. pallida, Y. reverchonii, Y. rostrata, Y. rupicola, Y. tenuistyla, Y. thompsoniana, Y. treculeana, Y. utahensis
Synonyms Y. argospatha, Y. aspera, Y. baccata var. australis, Y. baccata var. macrocarpa, Y. canaliculata, Y. canaliculata var. pendula, Y. crassifila, Y. longifolia, Y. torreyi, Y. treculeana var. succulenta, Y. undulata Y. californica, Y. mohavensis
Name authority Carrière: Rev. Hort., 580. (1858) Roezl ex Ortgies: Gartenflora 20: 110. (1871)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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