Yucca macrocarpa Merriam， non Engelm.
Yucca mohavensis Sarg.
Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Ortgies
Mojave yucca
Mojave yucca is native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of southwestern North America.
Plants: Many yuccas are acaulescent—they have no stem. But this one is a small tree, up to 8–16′ (2.5–4.8 m) tall (to a maximum of 30′ (9 m)), topped by a dense array of swordlike leaves. Bark is gray-brown, with a skirt of dead leaves near the top.
Leaves: 12–59 ⨉ 1½–4″ (30–150 ⨉ 4–11 cm) wide at the base, tapering to sharp tips. They are thick, stiff, yellow- to blue-green, with wiry white filaments.
Flowers: White, sometimes tinged with purple, urn-shaped, 1–3″ (3–7.5 cm) long, copious, on a central spike.
Fruits: Seed capsules are dark brown or dull black, with six sections, roughly cylindrical, 1¾–4½″ long ⨉ 1–1½″ around (5–12 ⨉ 3–4 cm).
Habitats: Rocky desert slopes and creosote desert flats between 984–3937′ (300–1200 m) elevation, and rarely up to 1.6 mi (2.5 km).
See the Yucca page for a comparison with other yuccas.
Online References:
References:
Irish, Mary & Irish, Gary, Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants: A Gardener’s Guide, Timber Press, 2000, p. 268
Yucca californica Nutt. ex Baker
Yucca macrocarpa Merriam， non Engelm.
Yucca mohavensis Sarg.
Yucca macrocarpa Merriam， non Engelm.
Yucca mohavensis Sarg.
5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Visitor Center, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
5/1/2018 · Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, Twentynine Palms, California 
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California 
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California 
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm) 
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (34 × 52 cm) 
4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada 
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California 
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California 
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California 
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 7 × 5″ (16 × 13 cm) 
4/28/2018 · Scenic Drive, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 4½ × 4″ (11 × 10 cm) 
5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Visitor Center, Joshua Tree National Park, California 
5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Visitor Center, Joshua Tree National Park, California 
4/29/2018 · Willow Spring Picnic Area, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada 
2/26/2010 · Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, La Jolla, California 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd, Joshua Tree National Park, California 
4/29/2018 · Willow Spring Picnic Area, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Liliopsida | Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family |
| Subclass | Liliidae | Includes lilies, orchids, and many others |
| Order | Asparagales | A diverse group that includes asparagus |
| Family | Asparagaceae | Agaves, asparagus, hyacinths, and others |
| Genus | Yucca | Linnaeus mistakenly derived the genus name from the Carib word for (similar-appearing) cassava, yuca |
| Species | schidigera | From the Latin meaning “bearing a splinter of wood,” alluding to the coarse marginal fibers at the edge of the leaf blade |
Yucca schidigera description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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