BCSS - Forum

I think the leaves are too scabrous to be a regular Americana. Has anyone got any thoughts on the salmiana?

There is a heavily offsetting, very pale, scabrous leaved 'franzosinii-a-like' out there that no-one has a firm ID on. Agave americana itself is extremely variable - add to that its propensity to hybridise with whatever is nearby makes IDing plants a nightmare. Scabrous leaf would indicate some scabra genes - in Mexico Agave americana ssp protamericana x scabra is very common, making huge populations of what Gentry calls in his book 'hybrid swarms' of extremely variable appearance, all along the same road side in some instances. Best guess for yours would be one of those type of hybrids.

The Agave salmiana leaves seem a little bit too long for ssp crassispina but that could easily be just down to the conditions in which it is growing making it thus. Again, it is difficult to say for sure until it grows up. I have baby plants of known provenance of ssp crassispina that are showing long leaves like that but I know for a fact that the parents are chunky.

Thanks for the help. I might shift the salmiana so that it gets a bit more sun and see how it develops. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

This Agave mitis has recently started to have its leaves go narrower. The core has also become much narrower than it was. I know that this can be a sign of an impending flower and that mitis type plants are supposedly short lived. Has anyone got any thoughts?

Any change or unusual leaf shape/growth is normally a sign it's going to flower.
AN exciting process but upsetting as it's terminal, you may get offsets or bulbils, it's interesting to record the growth as hot days can seriously increase the flower stalk growth.

Thanks for the reply!
Update:
The growth rate is definitely higher and the leaf starting to unfurl in the second photo did so completely overnight. I shall have to wait and see.
More general photos: Has anyone got any ideas for ID's for these two?

Unknown parryi type plant with nice imprints
My bigger A. Sharkskin. I have another similar sized but lighter green one but mealybugs have scarred it
A. blue Brian (supposedly parrasana x potatorum)
A. atrovirens (var. mirabilis?)
A. Schidigera 'white stripe'
Variegated vic reg
A. Parrasana fireball (acquired at a cost of £25 )
A. bracteosa

NorfolkExotics wrote:Thanks for the reply!
Update:

IMG_0186.JPG

Can I be really cheeky and ask what the plant off to the right of shot is please?
I ask because I think I may have one in among my many plants with lost labels.
Thank you.

It's an agave leopoldii as far as I'm aware.