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May 18, 2006
A little help needed. . .
I'm looking for a bit of help from any botany geeks out there. I'm trying to identify as closely as possible, the plant below.
The plant was originally found in the woods of Alabama, so it is most probably native to this region. The stem growing in the middle currently stands about 6 feet tall. As far as I know, this plant has not bloomed in the past decade.
If you have any info, or know of a forum where people might like geeking out on plant identification, please drop a note in the comments section below. If you need a larger image, click here.
UPDATE: Thaks to Southtrek, I believe it's save to say that this is indeed a Yucca, more specifically, I believe it's a Yucca Filamentosa. Here's the USDA NCRS Plant guide on Yucca Filamentosa, and interesting excerpt:
Ethnobotanic: The Catawba, Cherokee, Nanticoke and other Native American tribes used Yucca filamentosa for a variety of purposes including food, medicine, cordage and even soap. The roots, which contain saponin, were prepared by boiling and pounding for use as soap. Roots were beaten into a salve or poultice that would then be used to treat sprains or applied to sores on the skin. The roots were used to treat gonorrhea and rheumatism. Skin diseases were treated by rubbing the roots on the skin and by taking a decoction of the roots. The plant was used as a sedative to induce sleep. An infusion of the plant was used to treat diabetes. The flowers were eaten both raw and cooked. The pounded roots were thrown into fishing waters to “intoxicate fishers” allowing for easier catch. The green leaves are easily split into long strips that can be plied into cord. The leaves have long, very strong fibers, a type of sisal, which were twisted into strong thread used as cordage for binding and to construct baskets, fishing nets, fishing lines and clothing. The leaves of Yucca filamentosa contain the strongest fibers native to North America.
There is of course a catch, I believe this is some sort of a hybrid, perhaps Yucca Filamentoas / Yucca Flaccida, the plant is rather weak leaved like the Flaccida, but it also produces the filaments on the leave edges characteristic to the Filamentosa. These weak leaves could be a result in the plant growing in nearly permanent shade, I'm not sure.
If you're a plant geek, botanist or just have a green thumb about such things and can give more info, please drop me a line, or better yet, leave info in the comments. So far though, here's what I believe it to be:
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Liliopsida – Monocotyledons
Subclass Liliidae –
Order Liliales –
Family Agavaceae – Century-plant family
Genus Yucca L. – yucca
Species Yucca filamentosa L. – Adam's needle
You learn something new everyday.
UPDATE 2: This Floridata page on Yucca Filamentosa has alot of info as well, I especially like this this bit:
There is much confusion regarding how many species of Adam's needle there are. Some experts (the "splitters") recognize Y. flaccida, Y. smalliana and Y. concava, as separate species, and others (the "lumpers") lump them all with Y.
The "splitters" bit reminded me of that Monty Python Life of Brian bit about the Romans, PFJ, JPF and the rest:
REG: Listen. The only people we hate more than the Romans are the f-ing Judean People's Front.Which would lead me right back around to this.
P.F.J.: Yeah...
JUDITH: Splitters.
P.F.J.: Splitters...
FRANCIS: And the Judean Popular People's Front.
P.F.J.: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Splitters. Splitters...
LORETTA: And the People's Front of Judea.
P.F.J.: Yeah. Splitters. Splitters...
REG: What?
LORETTA: The People's Front of Judea. Splitters.
REG: We're the People's Front of Judea!
LORETTA: Oh. I thought we were the Popular Front.
I really never imagined that a plant in my front flower bed would lead to all this. I promise.
--Jason
Posted by JasonColeman at May 18, 2006 10:44 AM
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Comments
The plant looks like a yucca. Here's a web addy. http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/Y/yucca.html
From the little bit I read, it is apparently pollenated by the yucca moth and won't flower if than insect isn't available.
Posted by: southtrek at May 18, 2006 1:33 PM
Jason, it will flower, but probably will not fruit without the moth. However, sometimes, you can fool a plant by using one flower to pollinate several others. Worth a try if it blooms.
Reminds me of the Century Plant (in minature)(so called because of it's supposed blooming once a hundred years), but the CP is a member of the Amaryllis family.
Posted by: GM Roper at May 19, 2006 11:36 PM
