Yucca baccata

Banana yucca
	Yucca baccataat Red Rock Canyon
Conservation status
	; Least Concern(IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Agavoideae
Genus:	Yucca
Species:	Y. baccata
Binomial name
	Yucca baccata; Torr.inEmory
Synonyms
	Sarcoyucca baccata(Torr.) Linding. ; Yucca baccataf.genuinaEngelm. ;

Yucca baccata(datil yuccaorbanana yucca,also known asSpanish bayonetandbroadleaf yucca)^[4]^[5]is a common species ofyuccanative to thedesertsof thesouthwestern United Statesand northwesternMexico,from southeasternCalifornianorth toUtah,east to westernTexasand south toSonoraandChihuahua.It is also reported in the wild inColombia.^[6]

The species gets its common name "banana yucca" from itsbanana-shapedfruit.The specific epithetbaccatameans 'with berries'. Banana yucca is closely related to theYucca schidigera,the Mojave yucca, with which it is interspersed where their ranges overlap;hybridsbetween them occur.

Description

Yucca baccatais recognized by havingleaves50–76 cm (20–30 in) long^[4]with a blue-green color, and short or nonexistent trunks. It flowers in the spring, starting in April to July depending on locality (altitude), and theflowersrange from 5 to 13 cm (2 to 5 in) long, in six segments,^[7]white to cream-coloured with purple shades. The flower stalk is not especially tall, typically1–1.5 m (3+1⁄2–5 ft). The seeds are rough, black, wingless,3–8 mm (1⁄8–3⁄8in) long and wide,1–2 mm (1⁄32–3⁄32in) thick; they ripen in 6–8 weeks. Theindehiscentfleshy fruit is 8–18 cm (3–7 in) long and6 cm (2+1⁄2in) across, cylindrical, and tastes similar tosweet potato.^[8]

Subspecies

Yucca baccatahas been divided into three varieties:^[9]

Yucca baccatavar.baccata
Yucca baccatavar.brevifolia(Schott ex Torr.) L. Benson & Darrow
Yucca baccatavar.vespertina(McKelvey) Hochstätter

As of 2023 the status of these subspecies is uncertain. InPlants of the World Online(POWO) andWorld Flora OnlineonlyYucca baccatavar.brevifoliaand theautonymare listed as accepted.^[3]^[10]

Severalbotanical synonymsare listed by POWO for each of the species recognized there. Yucca baccatavar.baccata:^[11]

Yucca baccataf.fragilifolia(Baker) Voss
Yucca baccatavar.hystrixBaker
Yucca baccatasubsp.vespertina(McKelvey) Hochstätter
Yucca baccatavar.vespertinaMcKelvey
Yucca filiferaEngelm.
Yucca fragilifoliaBaker
Yucca hanburyiBaker
Yucca scabrifoliaBaker
Yucca vespertina(McKelvey) S.L.Welsh

Yucca baccatavar.brevifolia:^[12]

Yucca arizonicaMcKelvey
Yucca baccatasubsp.thornberi(McKelvey) Hochstätter
Yucca brevifoliaSchott ex Trel.
Yucca confinisMcKelvey
Yucca thornberiMcKelvey
Yucca treleaseiJ.F.Macbr.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is known from theGreat Basin,theMojave,Sonoran,andChihuahuan Deserts,plus theArizona/New Mexico Mountains ecoregionand lower, southern parts of theRocky Mountains.It occurs primarily in the US states ofUtah,California,Nevada,Arizona,Colorado,New Mexico,andTexas,and the Mexican state ofChihuahua.It can be found in several habitat types includingPinyon-Juniper,desert grassland,Creosote bush scrub,sagebrush,andponderosa pinecolonies atelevationsgenerally between 1,500 and 2,500 m (4,900 and 8,200 ft).^[9]

It is associated withYucca schidigera,Yucca brevifolia,Yucca arizonica,Yucca faxoniana,Agave utahensis,and otherAgavespecies. It can be found amongSclerocactus,Pediocactus,Navajoa,andToumeyaspecies.

The plant occurs in a large area of the North American deserts and exhibits much variation across its range.Yucca baccataspecimens from the higher, mountainous regions of theRocky Mountainsis winterhardy and tolerates extreme conditions.

Ecology

It is a larval host to theursine giant skipper,yucca giant skipper,and various yucca moths (Proxodussp.).^[13]After feeding, the skippers pupate in the yucca's roots.^[13]

Uses

The young flower stalks can be cooked and eaten, with the tough outer rind discarded. The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked,^[4]in the latter case resembling sweet potato.^[7]

ThePaiutesdried the fruits for use during the winter. It is still a popular food amongst Mexican Indians.^[8]The flowers are often eaten by rural residents.^[7]

Ancestral Puebloanpeoples used the fibers derived from the leaves to create sandals and cordage, and the root was used as soap, although with less frequency than that ofYucca elata.^[14]

References

^Hodgson, W.; Salywon, A.; Puente, R. (2020)."Yucca baccata".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2020:e.T117423066A117469947.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T117423066A117469947.en.Retrieved19 November2021.
^Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound., Bot[Emory] 221. 1859"Plant Name Details forYucca baccata".IPNI.RetrievedNovember 29,2009.
^^a ^b"Yucca baccataTorr ".Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved12 November2023.
^^a ^b ^cElias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982].Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods.New York:Sterling.p. 134.ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9.OCLC 244766414.
^"Broadleaf Yucca | Colorado's Wildflowers".2016-06-22.Retrieved2021-07-07.
^Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
^^a ^b ^cSpellenberg, Richard (2001) [1979].National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region(rev ed.). Knopf. pp. 327–328.ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3.
^^a ^bWhitney, Stephen (1985).Western Forests (The Audubon Society Nature Guides).New York: Knopf. p.438.ISBN 0-394-73127-1.
^^a ^b"Species: Yucca baccata".fs.usda.gov.Retrieved2023-01-28.
^WFO (2023)."Yucca baccataTorr ".World Flora Online.Retrieved12 November2023.
^"Yucca baccatavar.baccata".Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved12 November2023.
^"Yucca baccatavar.brevifoliaL.D.Benson & Darrow ".Plants of the World Online.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.Retrieved12 November2023.
^^a ^bThe Xerces Society (2016),Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects,Timber Press.
^(Organization), Archaeology Southwest (1999).Archaeology Southwest magazine: a quarterly publication of Archaeology Southwest.Archaeology Southwest.OCLC 803078100.