Unusual Agave Inflorescence

[iwan]

Two years ago I noticed some odd growths about 18" away from my largest Agave parryi.  At the time, I though they were just some remote pups, but it turns out they were flowers.  I have never seen agave produce an inflorescence remote from the core.  The blooms continued again last year and this spring.  A couple of the blooms from last year are now producing bulbils instead of seed (which I think is the norm for A. parryi).

This is not the best picture, but you can see two unopened flowers between the concrete and the agave.

Here is a better shot showing the distance from the mother.

 

And a couple of unopened flowers.

The flowers have been very sparse, nothing like a normal inflorescence.  The mother plant showed no traditional indicators of flowering.  Unfortunately, I am not able to located pictures of the unopened flowers from last year.  I assumed that maybe the inflorescence was blocked and blowing out the side, but a couple of weeks ago I noticed a traditional bloom spike pushing out. 

 

[iwan]

And here she is with a traditional bloom stalk starting.

 

 

Love the color!

 

[Josue Diaz]

Again, very nice! I have several of these also. Can't get enough of these and other compact species

[Gonzer]

Not that unusual. A. Americana is notorious for this anomaly. 

[iwan]

6 hours ago, Gonzer said:

Not that unusual. A. Americana is notorious for this anomaly. 

Thanks,  I have never see this before and have inquired with several "experienced growers" that have never seen this.  Good to know.

[Silas_Sancona]

Agree w/ Gonzer, not unheard of but yea, haven't encountered this in any local Agave specimens I have seen either. Thinking this has been discussed over on Agaveville in the past. 

Curious, is this A. parryi truncata or straight parryi? Great specimen regardless. You'll have to update us when she flowers. 

Like Josue, also attracted to the more compact species myself. Have A. pygmae,  parviflora ssp. flexiflora, toumeyana V. bella, pintilla and an unnamed "strings and things" type ( maybe striata or schottii) Atm




 

[iwan]

This was salvaged from an estate about 6 years ago, so I don't know.  I suspect it is a standard parryi and wouldn't consider it a truncata.  It is not as pointy as my var huachucensis though.  My toumeyana V. bella flowered last year, but no offsets nor seed.  So far it has not died.  I have several smaller species/varieties and a few various A. utahensis ssp. 

I never migrated over to Agaveville from Xericworld, but check there occasionally.  If you happen to run across the reference to this condition, please post it here or PM.

I officially change my subject from Unusual to Uncommon.

 

[Josue Diaz]

I've seen agave "sharkskin" do this also. 

[iwan]

Progress pictures.  4/17

 

 

4/22

 

Terrestrial bulbils.  You can see the ground being lifted by the inflorescence.

 

Edited April 26, 2018 by iwan

[Funkthulhu]

It's Audrey II all over again...

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Awesome stuff.