Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Asparagales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Agave virginica
FAMILY
Agavaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
When in bloom, this is a very striking and unforgettable species. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Manfreda virginica
FAMILY
Agavaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Manfreda virginica ssp. virginica
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26 (2002)
Manfreda virginica
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 044-08-001:
Agave virginica FAMILY Amaryllidaceae
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Manfreda tigrina
INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Manfreda virginica
COMMON NAME:
Eastern Agave, Eastern False-aloe, Rattlesnake-master, American Aloe
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_mavi5_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm180506_1988
May Crawford County GA
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmmvirginica_home1
June Anderson County SC
Each rosette produces a single, stiffly erect 4-6' flowering stalk, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmmvirginica_home2
June Anderson County SC
Up to 30 fragrant, greenish-yellow flowers are borne on short stalks, per Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006).
)
JK Marlow jkm220702_8879
July Oconee County SC
Stamens attached to perianth tube at point of expansion, anthers yellow, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm071021_021
October Oconee County SC
Sumter National Forest: Andrew Pickens Ranger District
Don't try to treat burns with this "aloe"! Plant juices can irritate, per All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999).
COMPARE
grass-like leaves of woodland or meadow flowering herbs
)
JK Marlow jkm231024_6176
October Oconee County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm231024_6180
October Oconee County SC
Capsules globose, 1-1.7cm diameter, per Flora of North America.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmmvirginica_basalbuzro
Month Unknown Oconee County SC
Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmmvirginica_buzroost
Month Unknown Oconee County SC
Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Agave virginica
FAMILY
Agavaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Manfreda virginica
FAMILY
Agavaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Manfreda virginica ssp. virginica
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 26
Manfreda virginica
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 044-08-001:
Agave virginica
FAMILY
Amaryllidaceae
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Manfreda tigrina
INCLUDING
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Manfreda virginica
35
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Granite flatrocks, diabase glades, limestone and dolomite barrens and glades, xeric woodlands over mafic or calcareous rocks, sandhill woodlands, dry roadbanks, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon in GA & SC, rare in NC
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal rosette
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Greenish/ Purplish
6-merous
6 tepals, perianth funnelform
6 stamens
Inferior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- All About South Carolina Wildflowers (Midgley, 1999) p200
- Atlantic Coastal Plain Wildflowers (Nelson, 2006) p222
- Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002) p147
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC, 1st ed. (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p108
- Guide to the Plants of Granite Outcrops (Murdy & Carter, 2000) p53
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p477
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p172
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p042
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p356
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p382
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p438
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p019
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".