Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Ortgies
Mojave yucca
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Liliopsida Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass Liliidae Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order Asparagales A diverse group that includes asparagus
Family Asparagaceae Agaves, asparagus, hyacinths, and others
Genus Yucca Linnaeus mistakenly derived the genus name from the Carib word for (similar-appearing) cassava, yuca
Species schidigera From the Latin meaning “bearing a splinter of wood,” alluding to the coarse marginal fibers at the edge of the leaf blade
About plant names...
Mojave yucca is native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of southwestern North America.
Plants: Many yuccas are acaulescent —they have no stem.
But this one is a small tree, up to 8-16′ (2.5-4.8 m) tall (to a maximum of 30′ (9 m)), topped by a dense array of swordlike leaves. Bark is gray-brown, with a skirt of dead leaves near the top.
Leaves: 12-59″ (30-150 cm) long × 1½-4″ (4-11 cm) wide at the base, tapering to sharp tips.
They are thick, stiff, yellow- to blue-green, with wiry white filaments.
Flowers: White, sometimes tinged with purple, urn-shaped, 1-3″ (3-7.5 cm) long, copious, on a central spike.
Fruits: Seed capsules are dark brown or dull black, with six sections, roughly cylindrical, 1¾-4½″ (5-12 cm) long × 1-1½″ (3-4 cm) in diameter.
See the Yucca page for a comparison with other yuccas.
Online References:
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database
DesertUSA: Exploring the Southwest
Digital Desert: Mojave Desert
References:
Irish, Mary & Irish, Gary, Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants: A Gardener’s Guide , Timber Press, 2000 , p. 268
Ingram, Stephen, Cacti, Agaves and Yuccas of California and Nevada , Cachuma Press, 2008 , p. 172
5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Visitor Center, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)
5/1/2018 · Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, Twentynine Palms, California
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California ID is uncertain
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm)
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm)
4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California
Older scientific or horticultural names
Yucca californica Nutt. ex Baker
Yucca macrocarpa Merriam, non Engelm.
Yucca mohavensis Sarg.
Yucca schidigera description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 27 Oct 2023.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
4/29/2018 · Willow Spring Picnic Area, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm)
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm)
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)
5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Visitor Center, Joshua Tree National Park, California
5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Visitor Center, Joshua Tree National Park, California
4/28/2018 · High Point Overlook, Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
4/29/2018 · Willow Spring Picnic Area, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, California
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd, Joshua Tree National Park, California
4/29/2018 · Willow Spring Picnic Area, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)
Range:
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