#nolinaceae

Nolina longifolia

Here we have a massive plant with tiny flowers -so small my iPhone has trouble focusing sharply on them. The genus Nolina occurs in the southern half of the U.S. and on southward as far as Oaxaca. The plant pictured is one of the southern ones, native to Oaxaca and neighboring Puebla, notable for its long downward-hanging leaves. Some authors, however, have doubted that it is different enough from the more wide-ranging N. parviflora to be classified as a separate species. In any case, there are separate male and female plants, and the daubs of yellow pollen visible on the anthers of our plant's flowers show it to be a male. Plants are slow-growing, but can live for hundreds of years. While formerly placed in the its own family, Nolinaceae, it is now put in a subfamily (Nolinoideae) within the larger Asparagus Family.

Dasylirion longissimum

Most Dasylirion species have strap-like leaves with saw-toothed edges, but D. longissimum is an exception, since it has toothless needle-like leaves. It comes from the Mexican states of Hidalgo and Queretaro, and it looks very much like D. quadrangulatum from farther north - except that they have floral differences and well-separated distributions. Like all Dasylirion species, this one has separate male and female plants. The upper photo shows a female plant in flower, and the middle photo is a close-up of the female flowers. The lower photo shows the flowers of a male plant. Both the male and female plants have a stout stalk with large papery bracts and little finger-like floral branches bearing innumerable numbers of tiny flowers that are bee-magnets. But as can be seen, the female floral branches are erect and a little greenish, while the male ones are whiter and tend to bend. Later on, the female inflorescence will turn a rusty red color, lasting well into the autumn. Dasylirion is related to Nolina and Beaucarnea, and all of these are placed in the subfamily Nolinoideae within the Asparagus Family (formerly, they had their own family - Nolinaceae).

Dasylirion longissimum

I recently posted photos of both male and female plants of Dasylirion longissimum, but the female plant has undergone a remarkable change since then, as it always does when its flowers give way to fruits. The upper photo shows the 2 adjacent flowering plants as they look now, with a close-up below showing the reddish developing fruits. In contrast, the lower photo shows the plant 17 days ago, when it was in flower and the fruits had not yet begun to develop. The reddish color of the fruits lasts for a long time in late summer to autumn, but male plants never get this color at all.

Dasylirion durangense

Dasylirions are called "sotol" in Spanish, and a liquor is made from them (also called sotol) in Mexico, much like mescal is made from agaves. This one comes from Durango, as its name suggests, and it is related to the more commonly grown D. wheeleri. The latter occurs both in northern Mexico and in the southwestern U.S.

Like Beaucarnea, Dasylirion belongs to the Nolina Family, and all members of this group have separate male and female plants. The plant pictured here is a male, as one can tell from the stamens with pale yellow pollen sprouting out of the tiny white flowers.

Beaucarnea recurvata × hookeri

Though the 2 plants involved in this hybrid were formerly placed in different genera (Beaucarnea recurvata and Calibanus hookeri), DNA evidence showed that the 2 Calibanus species had arisen from within Beaucarnea and should not be classified as a separate genus. However, the fruits of Calibanus are round, lacking the papery wings seen on the other Beaucarnea species; one can see from the lower photo that the papery wings are present in the hybrid. The reddish color of the inflorescence stalk and the seed capsules is a very nice feature. Both Beaucarnea recurvata and Beaucarnea/Calibanus hookeri are from Eastern Mexico and have large woody bases, but B. recurvata develops tall stems, while hookeri does not. Though now placed in the subfamily Nolinoideae within the Asparagus Family, these plants were formerly placed in the much smaller family Nolinaceae.

Dasylirion texanum

Dasylirions belong to the subgenus Nolinoideae within the Asparagus Family (formerly, this subfamily was considered its own family - Nolinaceae). Their Spanish name is sotol, and in English they are sometimes called "desert spoon". This is because the leaf bases flare out and are cupped where they clasp the stem, but it is something one can see only if a leaf is removed. Dasylirions have separate male and female plants, and ours is a male. Note the bee on the upper right in the second photo; bees are strongly attracted to Dasylirion flowers. As its name implies, this species can be found in Texas, and it occurs also in the state of Coahuila in northern Mexico.

Dasylirion durangense

Like most species in the genus, this one has long narrow leaves with toothy margins. It is closely related to the more commonly grown Dasylirion wheeleri, and sometimes classified as a variety under that species. It is native to northwestern Mexico, in the states of Durango, Chihuahua and Sonora. Dasylirions have separate male and female plants, with tall inflorescences bearing many thousands of tiny flowers that are very attractive to bees. Our plant is male, as can be seen from the anthers with their pale yellow pollen. Dasylirions are placed in the family Nolinaceae, or alternatively in the subfamily Nolinoideae within the Asparagus Family.

Beaucarnea stricta

Beaucarnea is a genus of monocots with woody trunks having swollen bases, found in southern Mexico and southward into Central America. While formerly placed in the family Nolinaceae, this whole group has recently been moved into the Asparagus Family (as the subfamily Nolinoideae). Much the most commonly grown Beaucarnea is Beaucarnea recurvata, commonly called the Pony Tail Palm (it should be noted, though, that it is not a true palm). In general, Beaucarnea stricta does not branch as much, and its leaves are stiffer and bluer. These are very long-lived plants, and old ones can reach a height of as much as 30 feet (10 m), with a dramatically enlarged base that almost looks like a tortoise shell. All species in Beaucarnea have separate sexes, and our plant is a female, so its tiny flowers lack pollen (see lower photo). They are very attractive to bees, which visit them constantly from the moment the first flowers open. Our plant is flowering for the first time, at about 40 years old!