18/05/2021 : surajit : Agave in "Botany of Bihar and Orissa"

[surajit koley]

Unlike the "Bengal Plants", "Botany of Bihar and Orissa" features 5 Agave spp., and provides KEY -

I. Leavers over 3 ft. in length, in lax rosette or tufted :-

    A. Perianth segments not constricted towards the tip :-

            1. L. broadest in the middle, tapering to both extremities :-

                     L. oblong-lanceolate, neck sharply constricted .......... americana L. (common ornamental plant throughout the province)

                     L. linear-oblong, neck not constricted ................. vera-cruz Miller. (more or less naturalized in Singbhum etc)

            2. L. linear-lanceolate, hardly widened in the middle ......... cantula Roxb.  (cultivated)

    B. Perianth segments narrowed from about the middle to a ligulate tip :-

                 L. straight and narrow, often spineless ............. sisalana Perrine (introduced into Tirhut etc)

II. Leaves never exceeding 3 ft., in a close globose rosette ........ wightii Dr. & Prain (Tirhut)

life is short

time is running out

don't try to know everything

utilize what you already know

[surajit koley]

I don't know why the KEW page of Agave vera-cruz doesn't open now.

This came to my notice that many many of the reference pages I linked in various discussion threads are either removed or moved to somewhere else.

However, GBIF page is still there - https://www.gbif.org/species/2766994 and a screenshot.

life is short

time is running out

don't try to know everything

utilize what you already know

[surajit koley]

Illustrations of Agave vera-cruz :-

1. http://www.plantillustrations.org/illustration.php?id_illustration=8517&id_taxon=16786&mobile=0&SID=r5fs6tamsk4c200ff966o39rjk&language=English&thumbnails_selectable=0&selected_thumbnail=0&query_type=species&query_broad_or_restricted=broad&group=0&lay_out=0&uhd=0
   
2. http://www.plantillustrations.org/illustration.php?id_illustration=392023&id_taxon=16786&mobile=0&SID=r5fs6tamsk4c200ff966o39rjk&language=English&thumbnails_selectable=0&selected_thumbnail=0&query_type=species&query_broad_or_restricted=broad&group=0&lay_out=0&uhd=0
   
3. at - http://www.plantillustrations.org/species.php?id_species=28708

life is short

time is running out

don't try to know everything

utilize what you already know

[J.M. Garg]

POWO page now opening. 

On Fri, 21 May 2021 at 12:51, surajit koley <surajitno...@gmail.com> wrote:

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[surajit koley]

Yes, Sir

Agave	americana L.	vera-cruz Mill.	cantula Roxb.	sisalana Perrine	wightii Dr & Prain
accepted name			vivipara L.		angustifolia var. angustifolia
leaves	very stout, commonly variegated, very swollen base, sharply constricted neck above the base	often rather concave just above the middle (widest part), leaf base thick, early curving upwards and ends more or less recurved	moderately thick base, curving gradually outwards, or in weak specimen bent over almost from base	not at all constricted above moderately thick base,	base thin, broadly amplexicaule,
leaves (feature & orientation)	lanceolate, many in lax rosette, spreading at base, then ascending and finally tips often recurved; 4-6 ft log and upto 1 ft broad aove the middle, margin distinctly sinuate and bearing reflexed spines (prickles)	linear-oblong, 4-6 ft X upto 10 inch.	linear-lanceolate, lax but even tuft, 4 ft or more, ut usually 2.25 inch broad; over 3 inch above the middle (widest part)	not forming rosette, but closely tufted, inner leaves at sharp angle with the axis, outer less than a right angle; upto 6ft X 10 inch	ensiform linear-lanceolate, vary many, forming a stiff even rosette; 3-5 ft X 2.5 inch, flat or very slightly convex
leaves (colour)	sometimes rather glaucous	very deep green, sage green, glaucous	pale green, older darker, sometimes glaucous	deep green, glaucous or not	pale green often tinged with ashy gray
apical spine	1-2 inch long	0.5-1 inch dark brown	usually acicular, 0.5-1 inch reddish or dark brown	glossy, purple or dark brown	0.5 inch, pale. slightly decurrent
marginal prickles	strong, dark brown	spreading or decurved, black or dark coloured	conspicuous, falcate pointing forwards. .25 inch or more, very sharp	absent or if present weak scattered and pale	rather weak
scape	15-25 ft		12-18 ft	15 ft or more	12-15 ft
inflorescence	primary branches almost horizontal	main branches of panicle 3-chotomous, curved or flattened	inflorescence on flexuous rather slender branches	fascicles of flowers rather crowded	main branches short 3-chotomous
tepals	ovate lanceolate, tips obtuse	linear-lanceolate, ovary smooth cylindric longer than perianth	bluntly linear-lanceolate, or linear-oblong, otuse	base of perianth convex and somewhat dialated, limb suddenly contracted, segments narrowly ligulate, tip slightly hooded, Style long	perianth cup soon dividing into lanceolate segments, each ending in a narrowly ovate lanceolate limb, slightly thickened at the obtuse tip

I don't have money to replace my keypad right now

Specially, key 'B', 'N' and 'Y' refuse to feel my touch!!!

[surajit koley]

This is copybook image of Agave angustifolia prickles - https://cdn.plantatlas.org/img/specimens/USF/268928.jpg at no. 2 of https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=4115

Thank you

With regards

surajit koley

[surajit koley]

Finally, I think, Sir, we should follow the  " lucidcentral" KEY (which you have often referred to, in other threads of Agave, for the identification of the five apparently confusing species :- leaf margin with .....

1. stout and conspicuous prickles = americana, vera-cruz and cantula (vivipara)
2. prickles relatively weak, but present and with special character (screenshot Haines_03) = angustifolia
3. prickles absent or if present weak, not dark coloured, straight, intermittent or not = sisalana

Because, I have searched and noted many many GBIF and KEW herbarium, I have decided :-

1. flowers are not reliable identifier (because close up of live flower photograph of all the species are not available)
2. leaf orientation or angle of attachment to the stem (rosette or not) is not very reliable, because all type can be seen in all species

So, I think, as you always stated, that the margin prickles the first level of determiner,  thereafter the KEY and the TABLE in this thread.

I attach herewith pages from Haines' book and protologue of Agave vera-cruz.

Thank you

With regards

surajit koley

On Fri, 28 May 2021 at 21:29, J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com> wrote: