Re: Agave americana (forms)

At 01:06 AM 11/29/98 EST, Kurt Mize <K1MIZE@aol.com> wrote:
>I have a question for the botanists among us.  Why do Agave americana
>aureomarginata leaves become sinuous and contorted with age, while those of
>the species retain their shape?  Also, although I've seen pictures of Agave
>americana mediopicta in books, I've never seen it in gardens or in the trade.
>Does anyone know why this plant is so seldom seen?  Does anyone know of a
>source?  Thanks.
>
>Kurt Mize
>Stockton, California

Kurt - 

Not all A. americanas retain a straight, non-floppy leaf - I've seen this
trait on many all-green forms as well.  I does seem that this may be more
prevalent in A. a. 'Variegata', the common variegated form.  Gentry, in
the recently republished 'Agaves of Continental North America' only makes
a few unfocused comments about the various cultivated forms of this species
(he doesn't say much about ANY ornamental form of Agave), but does list
a non 'twisted' form of A. a. 'Marginata' as distinct from A. a. 'Variegata'.
I may know of a specimen, having noted a particularly non-floppy variegated
form here in Oakland (which might have more to do with culture than
genetics, though).

A. a. 'Medio-Picta' does seem to be relatively unstable, reverting easily
to what is know as A. a. 'Striata' (randomly pinstriped) and eventually to
all green.  I am growing only one rosette out of many that seems to be
coming true, though it does exhibit some transient pale green stripes within
its broad, yellow central band.  Conversely, A. a. 'Medio-Picta Alba', whose
central stripe is a more startling grey-white seems to be very vigorous and
stable.  It will eventually reach a fair size though not as large as the
other variegate forms.  I have several small specimens of this form if anyone
is interested.  I used to have a very large rosette in the main garden, much
to the frustration of my wife who thought it was completely out of character
with the garden.  I used it in a garden show display (merely yanked out of
the ground) and someone offered to purchase it.  Since Deb was there, I took
him up on the offer (won me a few points for a time!).  I am now planning
to plant some of these offsets (which still volunteer here and there from
the remaining roots in the garden!) in a public succulent garden I am
redeveloping, but I have more that I need.

Another form often associated with A. americana, usually referred to as A. a.
'Monstrosa', or 'Monstrose Vareigata', or 'dwarf Monstrosa', etc.  It is a
very nice plant which forms smallish flatish rosettes of wavy edged, yellow
variegated leaves.  It seems like A. americana and has usually been put in
that class, but a collector in my area, Jon Dixon, has found it to revert
on rare occasions to a very different, green, non-americana plant (and very
distinct from its monstrose, variegated form as well!).  There is some
controversy of this guy but there does seem to be a 'safer' name to give it.
A. 'Cornelius' is also one of its aliases and may be the most accurate until
the affinity (or lack of) to A. americana can be established.  Meanwhile,
unconcerned about our difficulty in assigning its identity, this plant makes
a very handsome and unusual addition to a drought tolerant, sunnier garden!

Sean O.
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