Agave rzedowskiana, a new species in subgenus

Littaea (Agavaceae) from western Mexico

PABLO CARRILLO-REYES, RITO VEGA AVINA, AND
RAYMUNDO RAMIREZ-DELGADILLO

Carrillo-R., Pablo (Jardn Botanico y Herbario, Universidad Autonoma de Gua-

dalajara, Apartado postal 1-440, 44100 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. pcarrilloreyes@
yahoo.com.mx), Rito Vega-A., (Facultad de Agronoma, Universidad Autonoma de
Sinaloa, Apartado postal 726, 80000 Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. rito29@prodigy.
net.mx), & Raymundo Ramrez-D. (Departamento de Botanica y Zoologa, CUCBA,
Universidad de Guadalajara, Apartado postal 1-139, 45101 Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
rramirez@udgserv.cencar.udg.mx). Agave rzedowskiana, a new species in subgenus
Littaea (Agavaceae) from western Mexico. Brittonia 55: 240244. 2003.Agave
rzedowskiana is described and illustrated from the states of Sinaloa and Jalisco,
Mexico. This species is a member of subgenus Littaea (Tagliabue) Baker group
Striatae of Baker. It is compared with A. petrophila Garca-Mend. & E. Martnez
and A. dasylirioides Jacobi & Bouche.
Key words: Agave rzedowskiana, Agavaceae, Littaea, Mexico, Jalisco, Sinaloa.

Carrillo-R., Pablo (Jardn Botanico y Herbario, Universidad Autonoma de Gua-

dalajara, Apartado postal 1-440, 44100 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. pcarrilloreyes@
yahoo.com.mx), Rito Vega-A., (Facultad de Agronoma, Universidad Autonoma de
Sinaloa, Apartado postal 726, 80000 Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. rito29@prodigy.
net.mx) & Raymundo Ramrez-D. (Departamento de Botanica y Zoologa, CUCBA,
Universidad de Guadalajara, Apartado postal 1-139, 45101 Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
rramirez@udgserv.cencar.udg.mx). Agave rzedowskiana, a new species in subgenus
Littaea (Agavaceae) from western Mexico. Brittonia 55: 240244. 2003.Se de-
scribe e ilustra Agave rzedowskiana de los estados de Sinaloa y Jalisco, Mexico.
La especie pertenece al subgenero Littaea (Tagliabue) Baker Grupo Striatae de
Baker. Se le compara con A. petrophila Garca-Mend. & E. Martnez y A. dasyli-
rioides Jacobi & Bouche.

During recent botanical exploration in
western Mexico, we found a species of
Agave, that had not previously been de-
scribed; we describe it here:
Agave rzedowskiana P. Carrillo, R. Vega
& R. Delgad, sp. nov. (Fig. 1)
TYPE: MEXICO. Jalisco: Mun. San Cris-
tobal de la Barranca, La Mesa de los Ca-
ballos, 1680 m, 27 Feb 2001, P. Carrillo-
Reyes & D. Cabrera 1503 (HOLOTYPE:
IBUG; ISOTYPES: GUADA, MEXU, NY).
Planta perennis, caespitosa, rosula densa; folia viri-
di-glauca, lineari-triangularis vel falcata, recta vel ar-
cuata, acuminata, striata, marginibus hyalinis subtiliter
denticulatis, (11)2035(50) cm longis, (0.7)0.8
1.2(1.4) cm latis, spina terminali rigida (8)1019(
23) mm longa; inflorescentia (42)70170 cm longa
(pedunculo incluso), in spicam densa; flores geminatio,
infundibuliformes, (20)2223(24) mm longo, ovario
viridi, cylindrico, 79 mm longo, 33.5(4) mm lato,
tubo 77.5(10) mm longo, perianthii segmentis 46(
8) mm longis, 24(6) mm latis, ovato-ellipticis, in-
curvatis; filamenta (22)2838(45) mm longa; cap-
sulae subsphaericae, 713 mm longae, 69 mm latae.
Plant perennial, cespitose. Stem repent to
50 cm long. Rosette hemispheric, compact,
2545(65) cm diam., 2040 cm tall, gray-

Brittonia, 55(3), 2003, pp. 240244. ISSUED: 17 July 2003

q 2003, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A.
2003] CARRILLO-REYES ET AL.: AGAVACEAE 241

FIG. 1. Agave rzedowskiana. A. Habit. B. Leaf. C. Leaf margin, detail. D. Peduncle bract. E. Flower. F.
Flower, in longitudinal section. G. Fruits. H. Seed (From Carrillo-Reyes & Cabrera 1503, IBUG, Holotype).
242
FIG. 2. Distribution of Agave rzedowskiana, A. dasylirioides and A. petrophila.
ish green. Leaves 100260 in each rosette,
linear-triangular, straight or falcate, rigid,
acuminate, striate on both surfaces, glaucous
or green, (11)2035(50) 3 (0.7)0.8
1.2(1.4) cm (width in the middle; leaf wid-
est at base, to 2.1 cm); margins hyaline, mi-
nutely serrulate with 1730 teeth per cm;
spines (8)1019(23) mm long, rigid, red-
dish brown. Inflorescence including the pe-
duncle, (42)70170 cm long, inclined to
decumbent, occasionally sinuous; fertile
portion to 1032(53) cm long, densely
spicate, located in the upper 1/81/3 portion
of the scape; bracts of the peduncle 2.59
3 0.50.7 cm, widest near the base, nar-
rowed upward, acicular, pale yellow, base
pale pink or pale purple, terminal spine red-
dish brown; floral bracts triangular, 4.20.7
cm long, the upper ones shorter, apex cau-
date, 1.93.5 3 0.60.7 cm, pale yellow,
base purple, persistent, longer than the flow-
ers. Flowers 50200 pairs per spike, fun-
nelform, greenish purple, (20)2223(24)
mm long; pedicels less than 1 mm long at
BRITTONIA [VOL. 55
anthesis, to 2 mm in fruit. Ovary 79 3 3
3.5(4) mm, cylindric to fusiform, gla-
brous, slightly protruding from the perianth
tube; perianth tube 77.5(10) 3 910 mm.
Tepals incurved, the inner tepals slightly
narrower than the outer ones, ovate-elliptic,
46(8) 3 24(6) mm, with a tuft of mi-
croscopic hairs at apex. Anther filaments
(22)2838(45) mm long, inserted at the
middle of the tube; anthers centric, arched,
oblong, rounded at both extremes, 810(
12.5) mm long, yellow or brownish. Style
filiform, sinuate when young, straight at an-
thesis 4048(51) mm. Capsules erect or
appressed, nearly deltoid in cross section,
subspheric, 713 3 69 mm, smooth or
verrucose, dehiscence apical; the perianth
occasionally persistent. Seeds 2.43.1 3
1.22.1 mm, hemispheric, triangular in
cross section, black.
Additional specimens examined: MEXICO. Jalisco:
Mun. San Cristobal de la Barranca, La Mesa de los
Caballos, 1680 m, 3 Sep 2000 (fr), Carrillo-Reyes &
Barba 1255 (IBUG); 18 Mar 2001 (fl), Carrillo-Reyes
2003] CARRILLO-REYES ET AL.: AGAVACEAE 243

TABLE I
COMPARISON BETWEEN A. rzedowskiana AND ITS MORE SIMILAR SPECIES. DATA OF Agave dasylirioides WERE
TAKEN FROM GENTRY, 1982 AND GARCA-MENDOZA & MARTNEZ, 1998A. DATA ON A. petrophila WERE TAKEN
FROM GARCA-MENDOZA & MARTNEZ, 1998A

Characters A. dasylirioides A. petrophila A. rzedowskiana

Rosette diameter (60)100200 cm 5080 cm 2545(65) cm

Growth habit single rosette cespitose cespitose
Leaves
length (40)60100 cm 4070 cm (11)2035(50) cm
width 23.8 cm 0.40.9 cm (0.7) 0.81.2(1.4) cm
shape straight straight straight or falcate
Flower length (25)3035(39) mm 2025 mm 2223(24) mm
Ovary length 913 mm 710 mm 79 mm
Tube length (8)1015 mm 34 mm 77.5(10) mm
Lobe length 913 mm 911 mm 46(8) mm
Insertion of filaments middle of tube apex of tube middle of tube
Capsules (10)1520 3 69 mm 910 3 89 mm 713 3 69 mm
Habitat pine-oak forest tropical deciduous forest pine-oak forest
Elevation 19002500 m 8501300 m 16001700 m
Soil igneous calcareous igneous
Distribution San Luis Potos and Mo- Oaxaca and Guerrero Sinaloa and Jalisco
relos

& Ramrez-Delgadillo 1540, (IBUG, IEB); [anomalous
inflorescence], Carrillo-Reyes & Ramrez-Delgadillo
1541 (GUADA, IBUG, MEXU). Sinaloa: Mun. Con-
cordia, La Petaca, 16001700 m, 19 Mar 1999 (fr),
Vega-Avina & Gutierrez-Garca 10000 (MEXU,
UAS); 12 Feb 2000 (fl), Vega-Avina & Gutierrez-
Garca 10567 (MEXU, UAS).
Distribution and ecology. Agave rze-
dowskiana occurs in the southern Sierra
Madre Occidental, with disjunct popula-
tions in the states of Sinaloa and Jalisco,
Mexico. It might also occur in the state of
Nayarit, between these two states (Fig. 2).
Agave rzedowskiana grows on igneous
rocky slopes and cliffs at 16001700 m, in
oak or oak-pine forests. In Sinaloa it occurs
in oak-pine forest of Quercus subspathulata
Trel. and Pinus oocarpa Scheid., associated
with Trachypogon stenophyllus Hitch.,
Tristachya avenacea (J. Presl.) Scribn. &
Merr., Muhlenbergia scoparia Vasey, Muh-
lenbergia alamosae Vasey, Muhlenbergia
distichophylla Kunth, Cuphea hookeriana
Walp., Agave pedunculifera Trel., Cheilan-
thes angustifolia Kunth, Dalea versicolor
Zucc., Oxypappus scaber Benth., Asclepias
linaria Cav., Befaria mexicana Benth.,
Gaultheria cordata M. Martens & Galeotti,
Oncidium sp., and Encyclia sp. In the state
of Jalisco, it occurs in a forest of Quercus
resinosa Liebm., Quercus praineana Trel.,
and Pinus oocarpa Scheid., with Comaros-
taphylis glaucescens (H.B.K.) Zucc. et
Klotz., Agarista mexicana (Hemsl.) Judd
var. pinetorum (Standl. et Wms.) Judd, Aca-
cia pennatula (Schltdl. et Cham.) Benth.,
Dodonaea viscosa Jacq., Clethra rosei Brit-
ton, Opuntia sp., Vernonia steetzii Sch.Bip.
var. aristifera (Blake) McVaugh, Ximenia
parviflora Benth., Agave guadalajarana
Trel, Agave schidigera Lem., Muhlenbergia
sp., Tripsacum sp., and often Epidendrum
sp., Mammillaria scrippsiana (Britton et
Rose) Orcutt, Hechtia sp., and Selaginella
sp.
Phenology. Flowering in February
March; fruiting in MaySeptember.
Agave rzedowskiana belongs to group
Striatae of Baker (1888), of subgen. Lit-
taea (Tagliabue) Baker, characterized by
narrow, striate, hard and thick but firmly
fleshed leaves, with scabrous serrulate
borders, and flowers without necks and the
ovary slightly protruding from the tube
(Gentry, 1982).
Although the leaves of the new species
resemble those of A. striata Zucc. ssp. fal-
cata (Engelm.) Gentry, the floral morphol-
ogy of the new species seems to be more
similar to A. petrophila A. Garca-Mend. &
E. Martnez and A. dasylirioides Jacobi &
Bouche, with which it shares a short floral
tube about as long as the tepals. However
244 BRITTONIA
it differs from those species by its shorter
and often falcate leaves and other floral
characteristics: Agave rzedowskiana can be
distinguished from A. dasylirioides by its
habit (caespitose vs. single rosette), narrow-
er leaves ((0.7)0.81.2(1.4) cm vs. 23.8
cm), and shorter flowers (2223(24) mm
vs. (25)3035(39) mm). On the other
hand the new species, shares the caespitose
habit with A. petrophila, but differs in its
wider leaves ((0.7)0.81.2(1.4) vs. 0.4
0.9 cm), longer floral tube (77.5(10) mm
vs. 34 mm) and shorter tepals (46(8)
mm vs. 911 mm). In addition Agave rze-
dowskiana has a western distribution (Si-
erra Madre Occidental) and it is known at
16001700 m elevation (vs. 19002500 m
in A. dasylirioides and 8501300 m in A.
petrophila) (Table I).
Etymology. This species is named to
honor Dr. Jerzy Rzedowski Rotter (b.
1926), of Instituto de Ecologa, A. C., an
untiring collector of herbarium specimens
and student of the Mexican flora, who has
made substantial contributions to the
knowledge of the flora and vegetation of
Mexico.
[VOL. 55
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Abisai Garca-Men-
doza for reviewing this manuscript and
valuable advice; Mollie Harker and Eduar-
do Sahagun-Godnez for reviewing the En-
glish translation; Roberto Gonzalez-Tama-
yo for the Latin description; Eugenia Mara
Barba-Robert, Danae Cabrera-Toledo, E rika
R. M. Guevara, J. Antonio Gutie rrez-
Garca, and Luis Ortiz-Catedral for their
valuable assistance and companionship dur-
ing fieldwork. Thanks are given to Mara
del Refugio Vazquez-Velasco for the illus-
tration. We are indebted to the curators of
GUADA, IBUG, IEB, MEXU, NY, and
UAS for permission to examine their her-
barium collections.
Literature Cited
Baker, John G. 1888. Handbook of the Amaryllida-
ceae. George Bell & Sons, London.
Garca-Mendoza, A & E. Martnez S. 1998a. Una
nueva especie de Agave, subgenero Littaea (Aga-
vaceae) de Guerrero y Oaxaca, Mexico. Sida 18:
227230.
& . 1998b. Agave petrophila Garca-
Mend. & E. Martnez, nom. nov. (Agavaceae). Sida
18: 627.
Gentry, H. S. 1982. Agaves of continental North
America. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, Ar-
izona.