Nolina nelsonii
Encyclopedia
Nolina nelsonii often misspelled Nolina nelsoni, is a flowering plant
in the genus Nolina
. The species was first described in 1906; in its genus, it is morphologically most similar to Nolina parryi
. This extremely drought-tolerant plant is native to the deserts and montane regions in northern/northeastern Mexico
. It is known to be cold-hardy to at least -12 ºC. It develops a trunk mesuring from one to several meters high, making it an arborescent member of its genus. The bluish-green leaves
, with finely toothed margins, are borne in dense rosettes, each with up to several hundred stiff linear (narrow) leaves up to 70 centimeters long. It is dioecious
; upon reaching sexual maturity, its white-flowered inflorescence
appears in Spring. The fruit capsules
are around 80 mm in length, containing light-brown, spherical to oblong seeds 2-3 mm in diameter. After blooming, the plant's main trunk dies and multiple lateral trunks emerge to take its place.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the genus Nolina
Nolina
Nolina is a genus of tropical xerophytic flowering plants, with the principal distribution being in Mexico and extending into the southern United States. Some botanists have included the genus Beaucarnea in Nolina. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae,...
. The species was first described in 1906; in its genus, it is morphologically most similar to Nolina parryi
Nolina parryi
Nolina parryi is a flowering plant that is native to southern California and Arizona. It can be found in deserts and mountains at elevations up to 2100 meters. It can exceed two meters in height, its inflorescence reaching 4 meters. The trunk is up to 60 centimeters in diameter...
. This extremely drought-tolerant plant is native to the deserts and montane regions in northern/northeastern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It is known to be cold-hardy to at least -12 ºC. It develops a trunk mesuring from one to several meters high, making it an arborescent member of its genus. The bluish-green leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
, with finely toothed margins, are borne in dense rosettes, each with up to several hundred stiff linear (narrow) leaves up to 70 centimeters long. It is dioecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
; upon reaching sexual maturity, its white-flowered inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
appears in Spring. The fruit capsules
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
are around 80 mm in length, containing light-brown, spherical to oblong seeds 2-3 mm in diameter. After blooming, the plant's main trunk dies and multiple lateral trunks emerge to take its place.