Yucca declinata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sideways yucca |
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The Yucca declinata is a special kind of plant from the Yucca family. It's also known as the Sideways Yucca. This plant is only found in one small area near Bacanora in Sonora, a state in Mexico.
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About the Sideways Yucca
This yucca is unique because its flower stalk grows sideways. Most other yucca plants have flower stalks that stand straight up. The word "declinata" in its name means "bent downwards" or "sloping." This describes how its flower stalk looks.
What Does the Sideways Yucca Look Like?
The Sideways Yucca can grow quite tall, up to 6 meters (about 20 feet) high. It looks like a small tree. It has branches at the top and can also grow new plants from its base.
Its leaves are long, up to 140 centimeters (about 55 inches). They are a yellowish-green color and do not have any sharp teeth along their edges.
The flowering stalk can be up to 130 centimeters (about 51 inches) long. It usually grows out sideways from the main stem. The flowers are small and white.
Fruit and Seeds
After flowering, the plant produces fruit. These fruits are long and shaped like an oval, getting narrower at the bottom. They are about 15 to 20 centimeters (6 to 8 inches) long. When the fruit is ripe, it does not split open.
Inside the fruit are black seeds. They are flat and slightly egg-shaped. Each seed is about 1.0 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) across.
Where Does the Sideways Yucca Grow?
This plant lives in open woodlands and scrublands. It prefers to grow in soils that come from volcanoes or limestone. These types of soils are found in the area where it lives in Mexico.
How Was It Discovered?
A botanist named Howard Scott Gentry was the first person to collect this plant. He wrote about it and noticed it was different from other similar yucca species. However, he didn't officially name it as a new species.
Later, another expert looked closely at Gentry's notes and the plant samples. This led to the plant being recognized and named as a brand new species in 1995 by Joseph Edward Laferrière.
See also
In Spanish: Yucca declinata para niños
