NorfolkExotics wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 10:46 pm
A very interesting offset I erm... 'liberated' from an absolute bohemoth growing on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The plant in question was one of the floppy leaved 'Americana'/'Salmiana angustifolia' marginata plants. It wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that they are actually variegated forms of A. Mapisaga, a theory which would certainly explain the disparity in hardiness between such plants and the actual Americana marginata. The pictured plant has, interestingly, been tougher in comparison to my normal variegated plant aside from being slower growing (a given due to having less chlorophyll).
This is something that has cropped up before on one of the American forums. The huge curly leaved monsters would be a good candidate for mapisaga.
Re. variability in Agave montana, when you see it in habitat the variation is astonishing. Here is a page on my blog from when I last visited La Peña and I made a point of taking pics of all different looking plants. You have to scroll down a bit to get to the montana.
And then when you add Agave gentryi into the equation the situation just gets more complicated. Some populations of gentryi could easily be mistaken for montana.
Amazing pictures I have read all of your Mexico reports before and the one from 2014 with the mitis X montana hybrids was particularly interesting
Speaking of A. gentryi and montana, my RPS sourced montana seedlings are a varied bunch. Only one seems to show typical montana characteristics (top left). The others dont have the same leaf texture so gentryi may be involved, although identification obviously won't be certain until they get bigger.
Here's a few from my gravel bed which resembles more like a gravel slide, but it will improve.
My favourite Parryi 1684
IMG_20201115_095736_115.jpg (115.02 KiB) Viewed 1338 times
Agave Ovatifolia, I am a little obsessed with these. Would love a variegated one, but out of my price range for now. This is called Vanzie, just a variation with a name for marketing. Good looker.
Blue Brian, doing very well in no soil.
Agave parryi truncata, maybe Huntington? Overwintering in the greenhouse, but will plant this year.
Smaller Montana in part shade, which gives it that beautiful colour.
NorfolkExotics wrote: ↑Wed Feb 10, 2021 7:51 pm
Amazing pictures I have read all of your Mexico reports before and the one from 2014 with the mitis X montana hybrids was particularly interesting
Speaking of A. gentryi and montana, my RPS sourced montana seedlings are a varied bunch. Only one seems to show typical montana characteristics (top left). The others dont have the same leaf texture so gentryi may be involved, although identification obviously won't be certain until they get bigger.
image.jpeg
Yes, the Agave montana x mitis is a stonking plant. Grows like crazy, never grown one that is so fast. talk about hybrid vigour. I covered it with a blanket although I suspect it will be fine with those genes.
Here is a pic from October last, for scale that is now approx 1m across.
One lot of montana seed ended up inexplicably weird. Over half the plants that came up were hybrid of some sort - but not gentryi. As they get older the plants get quite silvery and glaucous and also offset quite a bit. The nearest candidate, as the moth flies, was about 1500m below on the plains at the base of the mountain where Agave montana lives. A sort of hybrid-y thing that isn't anything in itself other than possibly Agave americana ssp protamericana with maybe a dash of scabra. Anyway these hybrids from the seed are quite nice in themselves, whatever they are. I have one planted out that is doing quite well. No pics unfortunately.
I have read all of your Mexico reports before and the one from 2014 with the mitis X montana hybrids was particularly interesting 
King of the bed
Good looking Agave
