Hesperoyucca peninsularis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Agavoideae
Genus: Hesperoyucca
Species:
H. peninsularis
Binomial name
Hesperoyucca peninsularis
(McKelvey) Clary
Synonyms[2]
  • Yucca peninsularis McKelvey
  • Yucca whipplei subsp. eremica Epling & A.L.Haines

Hesperoyucca peninsularis, the peninsular candle or lechuguilla, is a plant species endemic to the Baja California peninsula. It is a perennial forming a rosette. It is semelparous (flowering once then dying).[2][3]

Description

Plants are monocarpic or polycarpic, and sometimes rhizomatous. Some form secondary rosettes at their base while others branch their caudex to produce new rosettes after flowering.[2]

Taxonomy

Phylogeny and classification

Although morphological characteristics and phylogenetic ITS analysis show that H. peninsularis is somewhat distinct from H. whipplei,[2] it is still widely recognized as either a form or a subspecies of H. whipplei. More conclusive research shows that H. peninsularis and H. whipplei form a polytomy, and are sister to H. newberryi, which is consistent with the fact that the populations of H. newberryi are disjunct from the genus while H. peninsularis and H. whipplei overlap.[4]

Distribution and habitat

It occurs in the coastal succulent scrub of northwestern Baja California south into the central desert and the Sierra de San Francisco in Baja California Sur.[5]

This species grows in association with Elephant cactus, Larrea, Boojum trees, barrel cacti, Dudleya, Agave, ragweed and chollas. It grows on granite or basalt soils.[1] The plant tends to grow in clusters but occasionally can be found growing solitarily.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Hodgson, W. (2020). "Hesperoyucca peninsularis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T163128320A163128352. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T163128320A163128352.en. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Clary, Karen Husum. 2001. The genus Hesperoyucca (Agavaceae) in the western United States and Mexico: New nomenclatural combinations. Sida 19(4): 839-847.
  3. ↑ McKelvey, Susan Delano. 1947. Yuccas of the Southwestern United States 2: 49–52, map 1.
  4. ↑ Archibald, J. K., Kephart, S. R., Theiss, K. E., Petrosky, A. L., & Culley, T. M. (2015). Multilocus phylogenetic inference in subfamily Chlorogaloideae and related genera of Agavaceae–Informing questions in taxonomy at multiple ranks. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 84, 266-283.
  5. ↑ Rebman, J. P.; Gibson, J.; Rich, K. (2016). "Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Baja California, Mexico" (PDF). San Diego Society of Natural History. 45: 272.


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