Forum Flora Germanica

Notes: Agave parrasanaSN|247]]SN|524]] is closely related and fairly similar-looking to Agave havardianaSN|22513]]SN|27916]], Agave ovatifoliaSN|27916]]SN|22513]], and Agave parryiSN|524]]SN|247]] which form a complex of related taxon. The adult plants of these species are generally readily separated; it is the immature plants that are hard to separate from each other. These plants can be set apart primarily by close examination of the leaf margin, the teeth along the margin and the terminal spine.

Description: Agave parrasana (Cabbage Head Agave) is a compact, chunky, small sized agave related and similar to Agave parryi. It has very short broad leaves that form into a tight, symmetrical, spherical rosette, shaped like a 'globe artichoke' up to about 60 cm tall by about the same diameter - young plants more upright but with age widen out. The surface of the leaves displays deep bud prints formed by the teeth of the leaves. It produces few or no offsets but can form small mounds in the pot or landscape. Due to the slow growth rate, these beauties take a while to develop into mature specimens with the classic artichoke form. When this species produces flowers they are red in bud and open to yellow with red highlights in panicles on a tall stalk to 4.5-6 metres. Like most Agave species, this plant is monocarpic, meaning that it will only bloom and bear fruit once during its life before dying.
Derivation of specific name: the name 'parrasana' is a geographical epithet that refers to the location of the type species in the Sierra de Parras (Coahuila).
Rosettes: Stemless, single or little caespitose, subspherical, dense, 40-60 cm tall, (30-)50-60(-100) in diameter,
Leaves: 40-60 per rosette, waxy dull grey-green with a dusting of silvery blue and closely overlapping. They are short, stout and broad, obovate, nearly round, measuring 20-30(-40) cm long and nearly 10-16(-20) cm wide, suddenly and shortly tapering above, acute to acuminate, usually concave above middle, thick and fleshy especially at base, very strong convex on the reverse, glabrous. They are edged with decorative but variable greenish-brown, straight to curved teeth. The teeth are largest near the leaf tip (17—20 mm. long), getting smaller towards the base, margin between the spines sinuate, the bases of the upper 4 — 8 spines confluent, spines at first yellowish-brown, then red, at last brown and then becoming grey. These teeth make striking imprints on the adjoining newer leaves' backside. The leaves end in a sharp thin red spine 2-2,5(-4) cm long and decurrent. The leaves are held tightly, almost like a bud, giving the plant a very distinctive form. Colour and tooth form are indeed quite variable.
Flowers: In bud, the flowers are flushed with red or purple and open yellow, they appear on a 3- 4(-6) m tall ellipsoid panicle with 12-15 branches 50 to 60 mm long. The flowers are enclosed into large, reddish to purplish succulent bracts that subtend the clusters of flowers. The cylindrical flower tube is 10 to 15 mm long, , flowers have distinctly long reddish purple filaments and yellow anthers. .
Blooming season: Early to late summer (June-July till October). Remember that the plant will flower once, then it dies.

Agave parrasana is closely related and fairly similar-looking to Agave havardiana, Agave ovatifolia, and Agave parryi which form a complex of related taxon.
Agave parrasana (Cabbage Head Agave) is a compact, chunky, small sized agave related and similar to Agave parryi.

The adult plants of these species are generally readily separated

Description: Agave parryi var. truncataSN|504]]SN|17367]] is an extraordinary diminutive and ornamental variant of Agave parry with very short, broader and rounder leaves (some-times only 7-15 cm long), with tip acute to truncate (whence the name). This variety has “artichoke-like” and pleasing silvery-bluish gray rosettes with wider leaves than average, and the colour contrast is more intense, making it one of the more ornamental agaves of its size.
Habit: They are small, light gray, short-stemmed plants, usually solitary but some-times copiously surculose with long rhizomes, infrequently flowering.

Agave parryi var. truncata Gentry: it is distinguished by its very small leaves with acute to truncate apex, shorter marginal spines and doesn't sucker much if at all