Tab. 7197. 

 yucca filifera. 



Native of North-East Mexico. 



Nat. Ord. Liliace.e. — Tribe Drac^ne^:. 

 Genus Yucca, Linn.; (Benth. et Rodk.f. Gen. Plant., vol. iii. p. 778.) 



Yucca filifera; trunco arboreo valido ramoso, foliis ensifornribus dense 

 rosulatis pedalibus vel sesquipedalibus filis margin alibus copiosis, floribus 

 in paniculam angustam saepissime pendulam dispositis, bracteis ovatis 

 scariosis, pedicellis flore brevioribus apice articulatis, perianthii aegmentis 

 ovatis vel oblongis acutis exterioribus angustioribus, staminibus perianthio 

 subtriplo brevioribus, filamentis clavatis arcuatis puberulis, antheris 

 oblongis parvis, fructu oblongo baccato, seminibus crassis. 



Y filifera, Chaband in Rev. Sortie. 1876, p. 439, fig. 97 ; 1880, p. 376 ; 1884, 

 p. 53 ; Gard. Ghron. 1888, vol. i. p. 743, fig. 97; p. 751, fig. 100; Sargent 

 in Garden and Forest, vol. i. (1888) p. 78, figs. 13-14. 



Y. baccata var. australis, Engelm. Monogr. Yucca, p. 44 ; Baker in Jourw 

 Linn. Soc. vol. xviii. p. 229. 



This is by far the finest of the filiferous Yuccas. The 

 fullest account of it is contained in Professor Sargent's 

 paper in the " Garden and Forest " for 1888 above cited. 

 It was discovered in 1840 by Dr. Gregg near Saltillo in 

 North-East Mexico, but was not introduced into cultivation 

 till long afterwards. Professor Sargent writes about it as 

 follows : — " Yucca filifera is a conspicuous object on the 

 arid plains which rise from the Eio Grande to the foothills 

 of the Sierra Madre. The great panicles of white flowers 

 can be seen for miles in the clear atmosphere of that 

 region, and look like gleaming waterfalls pouring out from 

 the end of the branches. It first appears about fifty miles 

 south of the Rio Grande, where, with the beautiful white- 

 flowered Cordia Boissieri in the depression of the plain, it 

 forms an open picturesque forest which extends almost to 

 the valley of Monterey. The ' Palma ' is common in the 

 plains between Saltillo and Parras. It was seen by Dr. 

 Parry as far south as San Louis Potosi, and no doubt will 

 be found to extend widely over the high dry plains of 

 north-eastern Mexico." 



The history of the plant from w T hich our figure was 



October 1st, 1891. 



