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PeteFree
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 2:25 pm Posts: 1139 Location: Suffolk, UK
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Agave ID
Hi all, It's been a very long time since I visited this forum as life and university studies alongside working full time got in the way a bit. I can see I have a lot of posts to catch up on.
It's probably bad form to come back in with a question, but I wonder if any of the Agave experts here might be able to help out with an ID on the attached pic? The plant is at a nursery here in Suffolk and the owner asked if I had any idea which Agave it is, but I don't.
Pete
_________________ www.peterjcross.co.uk
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:16 am |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: Agave ID
Well, I wouldn't profess to be expert but have seen quite a few and I have absolutely no idea, Pete. It is nothing commonplace, that's for sure.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:38 am |
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Martinnicklin
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:06 pm Posts: 2675 Location: Telford UK
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Re: Agave ID
Judging by the sprawling, long, thin leaves it could be bracteosa.
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 1:03 pm |
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Martinnicklin
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:06 pm Posts: 2675 Location: Telford UK
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Re: Agave ID
or vilmoroniana. Both of these have loose rosettes and are fairly easy to come by. Sorry my post got cut in half!
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 1:52 pm |
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Charles Wychgel
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:09 pm Posts: 757 Location: Algarve/Portugal
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Re: Agave ID
Agave vilmoriniana it is I tried to post pictures of my flowering A.vilmoriniana but ...it did not work got a '404 not found'?????
_________________ 37º 04' 16 71" N
8º 50' 13 59" W
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 2:43 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: Agave ID
I am fairly sure it isn't vilmoriniana - leaves on that are much more U shaped in section and more curved. Also the middle is just 'different'.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 3:36 pm |
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Charles Wychgel
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:09 pm Posts: 757 Location: Algarve/Portugal
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Re: Agave ID
It is quite a young plant Paul, leaves are more flat at that age
_________________ 37º 04' 16 71" N
8º 50' 13 59" W
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 4:33 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: Agave ID
I am pretty familiar with vilmoriniana, Charlie - grew lots from seed back in the day. I tried it here for hardiness when big enough. I am fairly certain this isn't it. Just doesn't have the right 'jizz' from what I can see. The nearest I could think of was a badly grown Agave ocahui var longifolia that has become drawn in bad light - there is one in the POW at Kew that resembles this thing - but it is still not a perfect fit either. Then again I could be wrong. As I recall I was once, back in the 80s, so I am sure it could happen again
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 5:19 pm |
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AlexW
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:39 pm Posts: 95 Location: Reading UK
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Re: Agave ID
Possibly A. 'Mateo' (bracteosa x univittata)? Becoming somewhat more common in the nursery trade I think, at least in warmer climes.
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 5:43 pm |
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David Matzdorf
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:06 pm Posts: 5321 Location: Islington, London UK
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Re: Agave ID
I have two young Agave vilmoriniana plants and they are very different from this. The leaves, as Paul said, are more channelled, but also much less fleshy - they're quite thin in section. And the new growth has a different formation about it. New leaves form more of a rosette and they emerge somewhat reflexed - this plant is putting out erect, individual, fleshy new leaves. Nothing like the A. vilmoriniana that I have, which I got from Ray Longhurst in Cornwall.
_________________ 51º33'07"N x 0º07'21"W
43m (142 feet) ASL
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Tue Jul 04, 2017 10:44 pm |
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Martinnicklin
Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2012 9:06 pm Posts: 2675 Location: Telford UK
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Re: Agave ID
One thing I have learnt from growing agaves - I have about 120 different types - is that growing conditions, especially in pots, can have a massive effect on the appearance of plants and the behaviour of the plants. If the nursery is not specialist in such plants, the agave is likely to be one of the more widely available species which has just responded in this way to its growing conditions - pot bound, amount of light, soil structure, feed, amount if water etc. Agaves can be notoriously difficult to ID. My advice would be, if you like it buy it. Don' t worry too much about the name. I have plants from specialist suppliers and, after research, am convinced they may not be the plants they were sold as. The other thing to remember is that young agaves often look nothing like what they grow into - the leaf shape can change beyond recognition from the juvenile plant people buy.
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Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:13 am |
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PeteFree
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 2:25 pm Posts: 1139 Location: Suffolk, UK
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Re: Agave ID
Thanks for the suggestions so far, guys. The nursery owner had two possibilities in mind when she asked me, one was A ocahui the other A vilmoriniana. I think she said it was given to her some time ago and had been grown from seed. It hasn't showed any sign in f pupping and is pretty sizeable (I'd guess about 15-18" tall and wide.)
Pete
_________________ www.peterjcross.co.uk
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Wed Jul 05, 2017 9:34 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: Agave ID
A friend of mine who volunteers at Kew and also hapopens to be an agave expert has, I think, nailed it. Agave chrysoglossa. Here pictures he sent me of the Kew plant - looks a good fit to me.
it does beg the question of how they happened upon such an unusual species but strange things happen. A 'regular' garden centre near to me had some Oplopanax capitatus a couple of years ago!
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Sat Jul 08, 2017 8:58 am |
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PeteFree
Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 2:25 pm Posts: 1139 Location: Suffolk, UK
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Re: Agave ID
Thanks, Paul. That looks a very good match. I'll let them know that seems to be a likely ID.
Pete
_________________ www.peterjcross.co.uk
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Sat Jul 08, 2017 10:09 am |
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