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Plant Profile

Schott's Century Plant (Agave schottii var. treleasei)

The green leaves of the Trelease agave are 25-40 cm long and form a perennial rosette. Photo Credit: Lynda Pritchett-Kozak

Global Rank: T1 - Critically Imperiled
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Asparagaceae
State: AZ
Nature Serve ID: 142650
Lifeform: Shrub, Forb/herb, Subshrub
Categories of Interest: Cacti/Succulents
Date Inducted in National Collection: 02/25/1988

Description:

Members of the Agave genus occur natively in arid and tropical regions from the southern USA to northern South America, and throughout the Caribbean (Benson and Darrow 1981, Gentry 1986). More than 200 species are recognized. The name Agave is derived from the Greek and means "noble," referring to their tall flower stalk. Some agave species have stalks that grow up to 40 feet tall. Agaves in general have many common and native local names including maguey, mescal, lechuguilla, amole and century plant. Several species in the genus Agave are of global economic importance. Agave sisalana and Agave fourcroydes are widely cultivated in Africa, Asia, Mexico and Central America for fiber. The most important economic use of agaves is production of mescal and tequila. These products are worth millions of dollars to the Mexican economy. In Mexico, thousands of hectares are devoted to plantations of Agave tequilana, the source of tequila. Other species are grown world-wide as ornamentals (Desert Botanic Garden 2002) Agave schotti v. treleasei is succulent rosette-forming perennial plant with leaves that are 25 to 40 cm long, 12 to 25 mm wide, linear, and deep green with no bud imprinting. Flowers appear from May to July. The flower stalk is 2 to 4 meters tall and 2.6 to 3.3 cm in diameter (Gentry 1986). It is subspicate to narrowly racemose-paniculate, the longer branchlets 27 to 40 mm long, the shorter ones 0.7 to 2.2 mm long (Benson and Darrow 1981, Gentry 1986). The deep yellow flowers are 35 to 50 mm long, usually 2 per cluster (Benson and Darrow 1981, Gentry 1986).

Where is Schott's Century Plant (Agave schottii var. treleasei) located in the wild?

Habitat:

This species occurs at elevations from 1100-2000 meters on sunny, open, gentle rocky slopes or in small drainages in high desert scrub, grassland and juniper and oak woodlands on gneiss substrate. (Desert Botanic Garden 2002).

Distribution:

Agave schottii var. treleasei is a narrow endemic found only in Pima and Cochise counties in southeastern Arizona. (Desert Botanic Garden 2002).

States & Provinces:

Schott's Century Plant can be found in Arizona

Which CPC Partners conserve Schott's Century Plant (Agave schottii var. treleasei)?

Desert Botanical Garden

Not Sponsored

Assigned 06/09/17

CPC's Plant Sponsorship Program provides long term stewardship of rare plants in our National Collection. We are so grateful for all our donors who have made the Plant Sponsorship Program so successful. We are in the process of acknowledging all our wonderful plant sponsorship donors on our website. This is a work in progress and will be updated regularly.

Conservation Actions

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Known from 6 clones, this poorly understood plant is found in a restricted range in the Santa Rita Mountains, Pima and Cochise Counties, Arizona. ?Direct threats aren't known, however, its natural rarity is its biggest threats. ?More information is needed, including taxonomic, inventory, and chromosomal studies.

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

The primary threat to Agave schottii v. treleasei is its inherent rarity (USFWS 1976).

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

There is only a single occurrence of Agave schottii v. treleasei in habitat, located in the Santa Catalina Mountains (Phillips and Hodgeson 1991). This variety may be a polyploid of A. schottii v. schottii. Another possibility that is more likely is that plants here are hybrids between A. schottii. v. schottii and A. chrysantha or A. palmeri. (see Notes)

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

None known.

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

Management focus is on avoiding direct impacts. The Santa Catalina site is located in the Pursch Ridge Wilderness Area, on U.S. Forest Service land (Phillips and Hodgson 1991).

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

Taxonomic clarification is needed, and additional surveys are also needed. Chromosomal studies on plants from both sites (see notes) are needed, along with further electrophoretic work.

Kathleen C. Rice

01/01/2010

Not Available