| Agave decipiens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Agave decipiens at theOrto Botanico dell'Università di Genova | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Agavoideae |
| Genus: | Agave |
| Species: | A. decipiens |
| Binomial name | |
| Agave decipiens | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Agave laxifoliaJ.G.Baker | |
Agave decipiens, common namesfalse Sisal orFlorida agave, is a plant speciesendemic to coastalFlorida in theUnited States.
Agave decipiens is anarborescent (tree-like) species with atrunk up to 4 m tall,[disputed –discuss][citation needed] frequently producingsuckers (vegetative offshoots). Leaves are frequently 100 cm long, though some of twice that length have been recorded. Leaves have wavy margins with teeth. Flowering stalks are up to 5 m tall, with a largepanicle of greenish-yellow flowers. Fruit is a drycapsule up to 5 cm long.[3][4][page needed][5][6][page needed]
Some authors have suggested that material fromCentral America and from theYucatán Peninsula inMexico might be of the same species asA. decipiens.[7] Gentry[4] and Zona,[8] however, discounted this possibility, regarding this non-Floridian material asA. vivipara (=A. angustifolia)
Agave decipiens isendemic to Florida. It grows onhummocks in theEverglades and other marshy areas very close to sea level. It is cultivated as an ornamental in other regions.[3][9][10] The species is reported naturalized inSpain,India,Pakistan, andSouth Africa.[11]
