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Yucca aloifolia

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Asparagaceae Genus: Yucca

dagger plant, Spanish bayonet, Spanish bayonet or Spanish dagger

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Plants forming colonies of rosettes, arborescent, to 7 m.

Stems: Stems 1–3, erect or somewhat declining, simple or sparingly branched.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Spirally arranged. Blades erect, dark green, flattened or slightly concave, thick, 12–40 × 2.5–6 cm, rigid. Rarely filiferous with straight fibers. Margins sharply denticulate or entire. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences pendent, paniculate, arising ¼–½ within rosettes, somewhat conical, 4.5–6.1 dm, glabrous or slightly pubescent; peduncle scapelike, to 3 dm. Flowers bisexual (perfect), pendent, to 7 cm; perianth globose. Tepals 6, similar, in 2 series, spreading, connate basally for less than 1 mm, creamy white tinged with green or purple near base, lanceolate, 3–4 × 1.2–2.2 cm. Stamens 6; filaments ca. 2 cm; anthers 2–3 mm. Ovary superior and stipitate 2–5 cm; pistil light green, 3–4 × 0.8–1 cm; style 5 mm; stigmas distinct.

Fruit: Berry-like; pendent; without core; indehiscent; 3.5–5 × 2–2.6 cm; with fleshy; succulent; purple pulp. Seeds dull black; round–ovate; 5–7 mm diam.; 2.5 mm thick.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Sand dunes or shell mounds near coasts.

Elevation Range: 0–1800 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Synonyms (46)

Dracaena lenneana Regel (1871)
Sarcoyucca aloifolia (L.) Linding. (1933)
Yucca aloifolia f. arcuata (Haw.) Voss (1895)
Yucca aloifolia f. conspicua (Haw.) Trel. (1902)
Yucca aloifolia f. crenulata (Haw.) Voss (1895)
Yucca aloifolia f. draconis (L.) Voss (1895)
Yucca aloifolia f. genuina Engelm. (1873)
Yucca aloifolia f. marginata (J.Bommer) Trel. (1902)
Yucca aloifolia f. menandii Trel. (1902)
Yucca aloifolia f. purpurea (Baker) Trel. (1902)
Yucca aloifolia f. tenuifolia (Haw.) Voss (1895)
Yucca aloifolia f. tricolor (J.Bommer) Trel. (1902)
Yucca aloifolia var. arcuata (Haw.) Trel. (1902)
Yucca aloifolia var. conspicua (Haw.) Engelm. (1873)
Yucca aloifolia var. draconis (L.) Engelm. (1873)
Yucca aloifolia var. flexifolia J.Bommer (1859)
Yucca aloifolia var. gigantea Sprenger (1906)
Yucca aloifolia var. marginata J.Bommer (1859)
Yucca aloifolia var. purpurea Baker (1880)
Yucca aloifolia var. quadricolor-variegata Carrière (1873)
Yucca aloifolia var. roseomarginata Regel (1859)
Yucca aloifolia var. serratifolia Sprenger (1906)
Yucca aloifolia var. stenophylla J.Bommer (1859)
Yucca aloifolia var. tenuifolia (Haw.) Trel. (1902)
Yucca aloifolia var. tricolor J.Bommer (1859)
Yucca aloifolia var. variegata Rothsch. (1870)
Yucca aloifolia var. versicolor Carrière (1878)
Yucca aloifolia var. yucatana (Engelm.) Trel. (1902)
Yucca arcuata Haw. (1819)
Yucca atkinsii Baker (1880)
Yucca conspicua Haw. (1819)
Yucca crenulata Haw. (1819)
Yucca draconis L. (1753)
Yucca haruckeriana Crantz (1768)
Yucca parmentieri Carrière (1859)
Yucca purpurea Baker (1880)
Yucca quadricolor De Smet ex Regel (1864)
Yucca quadricolor var. stokesii B.S.Williams (1870)
Yucca serrulata Haw. (1812)
Yucca serrulata var. angustifolia B.S.Williams (1870)
Yucca serrulata var. variegata B.S.Williams (1870)
Yucca stokesii W.Bull ex J.Dix (1862)
Yucca striata Anon. (1865)
Yucca tenuifolia Haw. (1819)
Yucca tricolor Baker (1880)
Yucca yucatana Engelm. (1873)

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Potentially naturalizing
Hawai'i Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents

Birds

Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 319 (1753)

Other References

Brock et al. 2023:114 (NEWNAT/K, DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Yucca aloifolia South Kohala, Waimea Associated vegetation: Kikuyu grass, Desmodium sp., Senico. Preserved_Specimen Multi-stemmed tree 25 to 35 ft tall. Rosette of Lvs, stiff, lanceolate, sharp marginal and terminal spines. Flowers white. Naturalized. Large thickets of over 50 individuals covers a 200 sq M area. Murphy, M. 231 Hawaii BISH 2022-09-16
2 Yucca aloifolia Kealia Beach Park. Common and naturalized in the coastal strand vegetation next to sandy beach. Preserved_Specimen Shrub forming large colonies via sprawling, almost horizontal, stems, flowering stems erect, unbranched; leaves dark green, serrated and stiff, with a sharp brownish point at tip; flowers pendulous and cream colored with faint purple at base; inflorescences terminal and somewhat sunk into the rosette of leaves. No fruits visible. Brock, K. 947 Kauai BISH 2017-02-08
3 Yucca aloifolia South Kohala, Waimea Large thickets of over 50 individuals covers a 200 sq.meter area. Associated vegetation: Kikuyu grass, Desmodium sp., Senico. Preserved_Specimen Multi-stemmed tree 25 to 35 feet tall. Rosette of leaves, stiff, lanceolate, sharp marginal and terminal spines. Flowers white. Naturalized. Murphy, M. 231 Hawaii BISH 2022-09-16
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