Yucca L.

Yucca

It remains a mystery why Linnaeus chose the Carib word yucca, meaning the entirely dissimilar cassava plant (Manihot esculenta), for the genus Yucca. Yuccas used to be in the lily family, but have recently been found to be part of the agave family. Generally they have thick narrow straplike leaves that emerge from a common point at the base, looking like a tuft of very large grass. Most yucca leaves have springy, wiry white filaments, a distinctive characteristic. Sometimes they have thick stems, making them tree-like. A tall central spike emerges from the leaves, covered with large, attractive flowers. Although most yuccas are adapted to hot, dry climates, some are comfortable in temperate climates too.

The yuccas on this page have not yet been identified.

Some yuccas are acaulescent: they have no stems, and the leaves grow directly from the ground. Others are small trees with stout, sometimes branched, trunks. Here is a comparison of the stemless yuccas presently in the database:

Some stemless yuccas.

Yuccas that are small trees.

Online References:

 

Yucca description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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