Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia


Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia (McKelvey) Hochstaetter, Cactaceae-Review, Germany, 1 (2): 21, 1998.

Basionym: Yucca intermedia McKelvey, Yuccas S.W.U.S. 2:116, 1947.

Synonyms:
Yucca intermedia McKelvey. (1947) Yuccas of the southwestern United States vol. 2:116, 1947.
Yucca intermedia var. ramosa McKelvey Yuccas of the S.W.U.S. 2:120, 1947.
Yucca baileyi var. intermedia (McKelvey) Reveal, Intermountain Flora 6:  527-536 (1977)

Unpublished names:
Yucca glauca var. intermedia Mesa Garden seed list

Type location:
Just north of Town of Willard, elev. ca. 1920 m

Distribution:
Central New Mexico towards Mora Co., to San Miguel Co., Santa Fe Co., Bernalillo Co., Valencia Co., Torrance Co., De Baca Co. and North East Soccoro Co. at 1500 to 2000 m elevation.

Short description of the species:
Plants acaulescent or sometimes forming a a short stem (rare!), single rosettes or in small groups of 3 to 4 rosettes. Leaves pale green to yellowish green, 30 - 60 cm long, very narrow 0,3 to 0,8 cm wide, stiff (sometimes flexible!), straight, plano-convex. Margin of the leaves white to grey, and with only few fibers. Inflorescens 100 to 150 cm tall, usually a simple raceme, and very rarely a somewhat paniculate, if so only in the lower part of the inflorescens!. Scape: starting between the leaves. Flowers campanulate (bell shaped) or occasionally somewhat globose (round), 5 to 6 cm long, cream to greenish occasionally with pink stripes on the outer tepals, flowers sometimes in singles but usually in two flowers together. Pistil about 3,2 cm long, . Fruit 5 to almost 6 cm long, 2 to 2,5 cm thick, sometimes constricted. Seeds black, shiny to dull, quite small 0,5 to 0,8, with a marginal wing.

Hardiness:
I have some experience with this species, it is not very hardy outside without protection from winter moisture. If grown in a bed that are protected against winter moisture and if the bed is well drained the plant will grow into a very beautiful specimen.

My own Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia:

191A Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Taos Co., sown 1991, Mesa Garden #1991.68
          received as Yucca glauca var. intermedia, many fibers.
          grown in a large pot that are inside the unheated greenhouse during the winter.

191B Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Taos Co., sown 1991, Mesa Garden #1991.68.
          received as Yucca glauca var. intermedia, many fibers,
          grown in a bed that are protected against winter moisture from October to May.


Photo by Benny Moeller Jensen, ©2000-2005
March 2000.
191C Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Taos Co., sown 1991, Mesa Garden #1991.68
          received as Yucca glauca var. intermedia,
          can handle few winters un protected, but only badly!! now I protect is with a sheet of glass in the winter.

336A Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Bernalillo Co., Albuquerque  G 20  s1992 Mesa Garden #1991.6
          received as Yucca glauca var. intermedia
          grown in a large pot that are inside the unheated greenhouse during the winter.

336B Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Bernalillo Co., Albuquerque, sown 1992 Mesa Garden #1991.6
          received as Yucca glauca var. intermedia,
          grown in a bed that are protected against winter moisture from October to May.

912 Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Albuquerque, fh 1178.83, sown 1998.
          grown in a large pot that are inside the unheated greenhouse during the winter.

1054 Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Albuquerque area, 1900 m.  fh 1179.25, sown 2000

1055 Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia, New Mexico, Albuquerque, fh 1179.83, sown 1999
          grown in a large pot that are inside the unheated greenhouse during the winter.

Notes:
According to Webber this species is Yucca glauca x Yucca elata.

Dave J. Ferguson did in a posting to the discussion group Hardycacti_etc on the subject "Yucca hybrids" comment that:

"The "Yucca glauca" parent is hard to peg down. There aren't three species in the group growing around Santa Fe, rather the plants in the area are variable. Most people just call them all Yucca glauca, but if you really look at them, you will find plants which match Yucca baileyi, Y. intermedia, and Yucca glauca (and these could all grow from seed from the same fruit). These aren't as variable in appearance as are plants from many other areas, but  the pistil and fruits are rather variable in size, shape, and coloring.  Probably best to call them "intermedia" since this is basically a name for varied intermediate populations where Yucca baileyi, Yucca glauca, Yucca elata, and  Yucca angustissima blend anyway".

The above comment may suggest that the plants in this area needs further investigation to determine which status they should have: Hybrids, species, subspecies or just natural variation within Yucca baileyi (or Yucca glauca!)

Pictures:


Picture of a cultivated plant in Hungary.
Note that the inflorescens is somewhat paniculate!, maybe this isn't a Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia?
Photo by Andrew Treer, Budapest, ©1999-2005.
 

Reference:

FERGUSON, D. J., posting to Hardycacti_etc. Thu, 12 Oct. 2000 09:02:04 -0700 (PDT) "Re: Yucca hybrid"
HOCHSTAETTER, F., Cactaceae-Review IRT, Germany, 1 (2):  21 (1998)
HOCHSTAETTER, Navajo County Web page: documentation of nomenclature
HOCHSTAETTER, F., (2000), YUCCA (vol. I): 46-47 (Yucca baileyi ssp. intermedia)
MCKELVEY, S.D., Yuccas of the southwestern United States vol. 2:   , 1947. Yucca intermedia var. ramosa
MCKELVEY, S.D., Yuccas of the southwestern United States vol. 2:116, 1947. Yucca intermedia McKelvey.
MCKELVEY, Yuccas of the southwestern United States, Part two (1947)
REVEAL, Intermountain Flora, Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, 527-536, 1977
WEBBER, Agric. Monograph U.S.D.A. 17:56-59 (1953) (Yucca intermedia as a syn for Yucca glauca x Yucca elata)
WEBBER, Agric. Monograph U.S.D.A. 17:62-65 (1953) (Yucca intermedia var. ramosa as a syn for Yucca glauca x Yucca elata)
TRELEASE, 1902 Yucca glauca Trelease Missouri Bot. Gard. Ann. Rpt. 13: (1902)



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