Yucca angustissima Engelm. ex Trel.
Narrow-leaved yucca
Narrow-leaved yucca is native to Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.
Plants: Plants form basal rosettes up to 9½′ (3 m) in size, looking like giant pin cushions.
Leaves: 8–31 ⨉ ⅛–¾″ (20–80 cm ⨉ 4–20 mm), rigid, with straight edges. Leaves are somewhat wider in the middle. They taper to a sharp point, tipped by a sharp spine. Stiff white filaments intertwine with the leaves. Upper leaf sides are usually flattened.
Flowers: White, cream, or greenish white, on racemes 2½–6½′ (80–200 cm) tall. Flowers hang downward and are tapered at both ends, somewhat ovoid. Each is 1–2″ (3–5.5 cm) long. The lowest flowers open above the leaf tips.
Fruits: A dry capsule 1¼–3 ⨉ ¾–1″ (3.5–7.5 ⨉ 2–3 cm), with dull black seeds that are ¼–5/16 ⨉ ⅛–¼″ (7–9 ⨉ 5–7 mm).
Habitats: Sandy soils, rocky hillsides, and pinyon-juniper woodland; to 1.3 mi (2.1 km) elevation.
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Similar species. |
See also the Yucca page for a comparison with other yuccas.
Online References:
8/31/2014 · New Mexico 
ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| 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 | angustissima | Very narrow |
Yucca angustissima description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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