Soaptree yucca

Taxobox
name = Soaptree yucca

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = Large Soaptree yucca
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Asparagales
familia = Agavaceae
genus = "Yucca"
species = "Y. elata"
binomial = "Yucca elata"
binomial_authority = Engelm.The Soaptree yucca ("Yucca elata") is a perennial plant in the genus "Yucca" in the family Agavaceae. It is native to southwestern North America, in the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert in the United States (western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora).

This plant grows from 1.2-4.5 m tall, with a sparsely branched trunk. The trunk is brown, cylindrical in shape and has a small diameter and often has holes drilled by escaping Yucca moth larvae. The leaves are arranged in a dense spiral whorl at the apex of the stems, each leaf 25-95 cm long and very slender, 0.2-1.3 cm broad. The white, bell-shaped flowers grow in a dense cluster on a slender stem at the apex of the stem, each flower 32-57 mm long, creamy white, often tinged pinkish or greenish.

The Soaptree yucca's fruit is a capsule 4-8 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, maturing brown in summer, when it splits into three sections to release the black seeds. They do not flower every year.

There are three subspecies:
*"Yucca elata" ssp. "elata". Capsules large, 5-8 cm; leaves long, 30-95 cm. Throughout the species' range.
*"Yucca elata" ssp. "verdiensis". Capsules small, 4-4.5 cm; leaves short, 25-45 cm. Arizona only.
*"Yucca elata" ssp. "utahensis".

These plants fare best in dry, semi-desert conditions. They are very cold-hardy, but need lots of sunlight.

Distribution

In deserts, mostly in sandy soil, in 850-2,000 m altitude, growing together with other members of the genus such as Yucca faxoniana, Yucca baccata, Yucca arizonica, Yucca schottii, Yucca torreyi, various Agaves, as well as Toumeya papyracantha, Sclerocactus parviflorus etc.

ystematic

Section Chaenocarpa. Series GlaucaeThere are tree subspecies:

Yucca elata ssp. elata Representatives material studied: New Mexico, Union Co., fh 1176.1, Carizzo Mts., fh 1178.10, Las Cruzes area, fh 1178.33, Pedernal Mts., fh 1179.84, Arizona, Cottonwood, fh 1178.39. Texas, Del City, fh 1178.29, Alpine area, fh 1179.30, Cornudas, fh 1179.31, Wild Horse Draw, fh 1179.85.Yucca elata ssp. verdiensisRepresentatives material studied: Arizona, Taylor, fh 1179.33, Snowflake, fh 1179.80.Yucca elata ssp. utahensisRepresentatives material studied: Utah, Fort Pearce, fh 1179.49, Santa Clara River, fh 1179.50, Snow Canyon, fh 1181.50. fh: Fieldnumber Fritz Hochstätter.

Cultivation

Yucca elata and subspecies are winterhardy in central Europe. Exemplare can be seen in n Washington and in Canada, British Columbia.

Uses

Native Americans used the fiber of the Soaptree Yucca's leaves to make sandals, belts, cloth, baskets, cords, and mats, among other items. Inside the trunk and roots of the plant is a soapy substance high in saponins. In the past, this substance was commonly used as a substitute for soap and shampoo, which was used to treat dandruff and hairloss. At least one tribe, the Zuni, used mixture of soap made from yucca sap and ground aster to wash newborn babies to stimulate hair growth. The Apaches also use yucca leaf fibers to make dental floss and rope. [ [Yucca @ B Net http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0007/ai_2603000747] ] In times of drought ranchers have used the plant as an emergency food supply for their cattle.

References

* Fritz Hochstätter (Hrsg.): " Yucca (Agavaceae). Band 1 Dehiscent-fruited species in the Southwest and Midwest of the USA, Canada and Baja California ", Selbst Verlag, 2000. ISBN 3-00-005946-6
* Fritz Hochstätter (Hrsg.): " Yucca (Agavaceae). Band 2 Indehiscent-fruited species in the Southwest, Midwest and East of the USA", Selbst Verlag. 2002. ISBN 3-00-009008-8
* Fritz Hochstätter (Hrsg.): " Yucca (Agavaceae). Band 3 Mexico ", Selbst Verlag, 2004. ISBN 3-00-013124-8
* [http://www.yuccaagavaceae.com/species.html Common names of yucca species]
* Die [http://yuccaagavaceae.com/species.html Gattung Yucca] Fritz Hochstätter
* Yucca I [http://yuccaagavaceae.com/photos/details.php?image_id=88] Verbreitungskarte I Fritz Hochstätter
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242102060 Flora of North America: "Yucca elata"]
* [http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/soaptree.htm Blue Planet Biomes entry for the Soaptree yucca]