Agave virginica
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image=False_Aloe_Manfreda_virginica_Plant_2200px.JPG
| status = G5
| status_system = TNC
|taxon=Agave virginica
|authority=L.
|synonyms={{Collapsible list|
{{Species list
|Agave alibertii|Baker
|Agave conduplicata|Jacobi & C.D.Bouché
|Agave lata|Shinners
|Agave pallida|Salisb.
|Agave tigrina|(Engelm.) Cory
|Agave virginica|Baker
|Allibertia intermedia|Marion ex Baker
|Aloe caroliniana|Hill
|Aloe virginica|(L.) Crantz
|Manfreda alibertii|(Baker) Rose
|Manfreda conduplicata|(Jacobi & C.D.Bouché) Rose
|Manfreda tigrina|(Engelm.) Small
|Manfreda virginica|(L.) Salisb. ex Rose
|Polianthes lata|(Shinners) Shinners
|Polianthes virginica|(L.) Shinners
}}
}}
}}
Agave virginica, synonym Manfreda virginica, commonly known as the false aloe, rattlesnake master, American aloe, Virginia agave,{{r|GRIN|GRIN2|MDCMOGOV}} and eastern agave,{{cite web |title=Eastern Agave (Manfreda virginica) |url=https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/plants/east_agave.html |website=www.illinoiswildflowers.info}} is a species of agave. It is native to the central and southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico, where it is found in prairies, upland rocky glades, and sandy open woods.
Description
False aloe is acaulescent, meaning the stem is extremely short. Leaves and flowering stems grow from a bulbous herbaceous caudex. The fleshy green leaves, usually spotted or speckled with maroon, are {{cvt |4-18|in|cm|0|order=flip|}} long and {{cvt |0.5-2.25|in|cm|0|order=flip|}} across. The leaf margins have fine teeth and leaves taper to a non-spiny tip. Leaf shape and size in Agave virginica vary with soil type, amount of shade, length of cold period, and position of leaf in the rosette. Speckles and spots occur frequently on some leaves in most populations, and some authors have used the informal designation "forma tigrina" for such variants.{{cite web |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101773 |title=Manfreda virginica (Linnaeus) Salisbury ex Rose, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 8: 19. 1903. |work=Flora of North America |publisher=eFloras.org |accessdate=2011-10-22}}
In early summer, leafless flower stalks emerge from the basal rosettes of leaves, growing rapidly up to {{cvt |7|ft|m|1|order=flip|}} tall. The inflorescence appears June to August, with 10–61 closely spaced flowers grouped in a spike that is about {{cvt |6-24|in|cm|0|order=flip|}} long. Each flower, {{cvt |0.75-1.25|in|cm|0|order=flip|}} long, is whitish green or yellowish green, essentially tubular, nearly erect, and slender, with a fragrant sweet fruity odor. Seed capsules are spherical and {{cvt |1–1.7|cm|in|1|}} in diameter.{{r|MDCMOGOV}}
Distribution and habitat
It is native to an area stretching from North Carolina west to Texas and north to Illinois in the United States and south to Nuevo León and Tamaulipas in Mexico. Its habitat is sunny, well-drained areas in prairies, upland rocky glades, and sandy open woods.{{cite web |title=Know Your Natives – False Aloe |url=https://anps.org/2015/07/16/know-your-natives-false-aloe/ |website=Arkansas Native Plant Society |language=en |date=16 July 2015}} It is the only Agave species north of Texas.
Ecology
Agave virginica is adapted primarily to nocturnal pollination by medium-sized moths and larger sphinx moths. Diurnal pollination by large bees results in significantly less seed set than nocturnal and open pollination. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are also attracted to the blooms.{{cite journal |title=The pollination biology of Manfreda virginica (Agavaceae); relative contributions of nocturnal and diurnal visitors |first=Joshua D. |last=Groman |author2=Olle Pellmyr |journal=OIKOS
|volume=87 |issue=2|year=1999 |pages=373–381 |doi=10.2307/3546753|jstor=3546753 }}
Gallery
{{Gallery|Agave virginica leaves.jpg|Leaves
|Agave virginica flowers.jpg|Flowers
|Agave virginica plant.jpg|Stem with flowers
}}
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{GRIN |accessdate=21 January 2018}}
{{citation |title=Agave virginica|work=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |url=http://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=294328 |accessdate=2019-04-14}}
{{citation |title=False Aloe |publisher=Missouri Department of Conservation|url=https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/false-aloe |accessdate=2020-10-29}}
}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q391961|from2=Q12061464}}
Category:Flora of Northern America
Category:Plants described in 1903