Agavaceae is a family of plants that includes many well-known desert and dry zone types such as the agave, yucca, and Joshua tree. The family includes about 550-600 species in around 18 genera, and is widespread in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of the world. The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular land plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses †Horneophytopsida Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Ophioglossophyta - adders-tongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo... This article is about arid terrain. ... Species see text. ... Species many, see text Yucca filamentosa in New Zealand Yucca decipiens in Zacatecas, Mexico Joshua Trees growing in the Mojave Desert. ... Binomial name Yucca brevifolia Schott ex Torr. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ...

The circumscription of this family has varied widely. Some genera (e.g. Cordyline and Dracaena) are sometimes separated off into a separate family, Dracaenaceae, though recent research has tended to incorporate these into a larger family Ruscaceae. Nolina, Beaucarnea, and Dasylirion are sometimes recognized as Nolinaceae or placed in Ruscaceae. Conversely, data from molecular systematics now suggest that Agavaceae should be broadened to include a number of genera previously classified elsewhere, among them Chlorogalum, Camassia and the family Anthericaceae with anything up to 22 additional genera. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group's APG II classification places Agavaceae, along with a number of other families (including Ruscaceae) in an expanded family Asparagaceae. However, APG II allows the alternative of keeping some of these families, including Agavaceae, separate, though in this case it recommends expanding the family to include the genera currently classified in Anemarrhenaceae, Anthericaceae (with Anthericum and Paradisea), Behniaceae and Herreriaceae. Most references have retained Agavaceae (in varying circumscriptions) as a family distinct from Asparagaceae. Hesperocallis, sometimes placed in its own family, Hesperocallideaceae, has recently been shown to be closely related and its inclusion in Agavaceae has been recommended (Pires et al. 2004). Cordyline is a genus of woody plants in the family Agavaceae. ... Species See text. ... Genera See text Ruscaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales that includes several genera previously included in the Liliaceae, for example in the Cronquist system. ... Genera Aspidistra Beaucarnea Comosperma Convallaria Danae Dasylirion Dracaena Eriospermum Liriope Maianthemum Nolina Ophiopogon Polygonatum Ruscus Sansevieria Xeronema Ruscaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. ... It has been suggested that molecular phylogeny be merged into this article or section. ... Species Chlorogalums angustifolium Chlorogalum grandiflorum Chlorogalum parviflorum Chlorogalum pomeridianum Chlorogalum purpureum The Soap Plants, Soaproots or Amoles are the genus Chlorogalum of flowering plants. ... Species See text Camassia is a genus that historically used to belong to the lily family (Liliaceae), the Scilloideae family, or the Hyacinthinaceae family. ... Type genus Agave L. Genera See text. ... The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group is an international group of systematic botanists who have come together to try to establish a consensus view of the taxonomy of flowering plants in the light of the rapid rise of molecular systematics. ... Genera Asparagus Myrsiphyllum Protasparagus The Asparagaceae is a flowering plant family in the order Asparagales, containing three genera. ... Type genus Agave L. Genera See text. ... Type genus Agave L. Genera See text. ... Type genus Agave L. Genera See text. ... Type genus Agave L. Genera See text. ... Binomial name A.Gray, 1868 Hesperocallis is a genus of flowering plants that includes a single species, Hesperocallis undulata, the Desert lily, found in the desert areas of the southwest of North America. ...

Species may be succulent or not. In general, Agavaceae leaves occur as rosettes at the end of a woody stem, which may range from extremely short to tree-like heights, as in the Joshua tree. The leaves are parallel-veined, and usually appear long and pointed, often with a hardened spine on the end, and sometimes with additional spines along the margins. Succulent plants, or succulents, are plants that store water in their enlarged fleshy leaves, stems, or roots. ...

Agave species are used to make pulque and mezcal, while others are valued for their fibers. They are quite popular for xeriscaping, many types having showy flowers. Pulque, or octili, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the maguey, and is a traditional native beverage of Mesoamerica. ... A cheap commercial bottle of Mexican Mezcal bought in Cancun. ... Xeriscape symbol Xeriscaping refers to landscaping in ways that do not require supplemental irrigation. ...

Genera

• Agave
• Anemarrhena
• Behnia
• Beschorneria
• Bravoa
• Camassia
• Chlorogalum
• Chlorophytum
• Clistoyucca
• Eremocrinum
• Furcraea
• Herreria
• Hesperaloe
• Hesperocallis
• Hesperoyucca
• Hosta
• Littaea
• Manfreda
• Polianthes
• Prochnyanthes
• Pseudobravoa
• Samuela
• Yucca

Species see text. ... Species See text Beschorneria is a genus of succulent plants belonging to the family Agavaceae. ... Species See text. ... Species See text Camassia is a genus that historically used to belong to the lily family (Liliaceae), the Scilloideae family, or the Hyacinthinaceae family. ... Species Chlorogalums angustifolium Chlorogalum grandiflorum Chlorogalum parviflorum Chlorogalum pomeridianum Chlorogalum purpureum The Soap Plants, Soaproots or Amoles are the genus Chlorogalum of flowering plants. ... Species About 200-220, including: Chlorophytum amaniense Chlorophytum arundinaceum Chlorophytum bichetii Chlorophytum borivilianum Chlorophytum capense Chlorophytum comosum Chlorophytum heynei Chlorophytum hoffmannii Chlorophytum inornatum Chlorophytum macrophyllum Chlorophytum nepalense Chlorophytum orchidastrum Chlorophytum is a genus of about 200-220 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the Agavaceae, native to the tropical... Species See text Furcraea is a genus of succulent plants belonging to the family Agavaceae, native to tropical regions of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. ... Hesperaloe are a genera in Agavaceae (Agave family) of perennial yucca-like desert plants. ... Binomial name A.Gray, 1868 Hesperocallis is a genus of flowering plants that includes a single species, Hesperocallis undulata, the Desert lily, found in the desert areas of the southwest of North America. ... Species See text Hesperoyucca is a small genus of three species of flowering plants in the family Agavaceae, closely related to and recently split from Yucca, but distinct in having dehiscent fruit and a scape more than 2. ... Species Hosta atropurpurea Hosta capitata Hosta cathayana Hosta clausa Hosta crassifolia Hosta crispula Hosta decorata Hosta fluctuans Hosta fortunei Hosta gracillima Hosta helenioides Hosta hypoleuca Hosta ibukiensis Hosta jonesii Hosta kikutii Hosta lancifolia Hosta longipes Hosta longissima Hosta minor Hosta montana Hosta nakaiana Hosta nigrescens Hosta opipara Hosta plantaginea Hosta... Species Manfreda longiflora Manfreda maculosa Manfreda sileri Manfreda variegata Manfreda virginica Manfreda (Salisbury) is a genus of about 20 species of plants in the family Agavaceae. ... Binomial name Polianthes tuberosa A tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) is a plant of the agave family Agavaceae. ... Species many, see text Yucca filamentosa in New Zealand Yucca decipiens in Zacatecas, Mexico Joshua Trees growing in the Mojave Desert. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

References

• D. J. Bogler, J. C. Pires and J. Francisco-Ortega (2006). "Phylogeny of Agavaceae based on ndhF, rbcL, and its sequences: implications of molecular data for classification". Aliso 22: 313–328. 
• David J. Bogler and Beryl B. Simpson (1995). "A Chloroplast DNA Study of the Agavaceae". Systematic Botany 20: 191–205. 
• David J. Bogler and Beryl B. Simpson (1996). "Phylogeny of Agavaceae Based on ITS rDNA Sequence Variation". American Journal of Botany 83: 1225–1235. 
• J. C. Pires, I. J. Maureira, J. P. Rebman, G. A. Salazar, L. I. Cabrera, M. F. Fay, and M. W. Chase (2004). "Molecular data confirm the phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic Hesperocallis (Hesperocallidaceae) with Agave". Madroño 51: 307–311. 

External links

• Agavaceae in Flora of North America.
• Agavaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval.