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Agavaceae
Agave parviflora is named for its small flowers, the smallest in the genus. The species range is from southeastern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico. Two subspecies are recognized, one in Arizona.
Agave parviflora ssp. parviflora is found on open slopes of desert grassland and oak woodland from southeastern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico. It occurs at elevations from 1100 to 2400 meters. Rosettes are small, 10 to 25 cm high, 15 to 20 cm broad and single or sparsely suckering. Leaves are 6 to 20 cm long, 0.8 to 2 cm wide, dark green in color with white bud imprinting above and below. Leaf margins are smooth with conspicuous white fibers,and with minute teeth near the leaf base.
The flower stalk is 1 to 2.5 meters tall, slender and green to reddish in color. The inflorescence in upper half of stalk is spicate. Flowers are cream to pale yellow in clusters of 2 to 4, and small, only 14 to 27 mm long. Seed capsules are 6 to 20 mm long and wide. Seeds are half-round and wedge-shaped. In size, seeds are 3 mm long on the thin edge, 2.5 mm long on the thick side.
Plants offset freely, flowering between the ages of 10 and 25 years.
Plants occur on rocky slopes in semi-desert grassland. from southern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico, limited by mining and road construction, habitat degradation due to grazing, and illegal collection. The effects of fire on the species is unknown. Agave parviflora has lost its protected status under the Endangered Species Act (it was formerly listed as Category 2, which has been eliminated). The status of populations in Mexico is unknown.
Desert Botanical Garden has propagules from three populations in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. Garden staff has conducted controlled cross-pollinations, keeping each population separate and producing a total of 10,554 seeds. Ongoing plans are to continue to produce seed on cultivated plants, and to back up the living plant collection by removing offsets as they form.
Agave parviflora ssp. flexiflora is native in Sonora, Mexico. It is found on open grama grasslands between 600 and 1500 meters. It differs from the typical form in the downward flexed flowers and the longer tepals. It also tends to have longer leaves.
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