''Yucca treculeana'' Carrière is a plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

and Coahuila. Common names include Spanish dagger, Spanish bayonet and Don Quixote's

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

. ''Yucca treculeana'' is a large, tree-like species up to 10 m (33 feet) tall, often branching above the ground. Leaves are up to 128 cm (50 inches) long. Flowers are cream-colored, sometimes tinged with purple. Fruits are fleshy and succulent, up to 19 cm (7.5 inches) long. In the last three generations, it has experienced a population decline of 30 percent, attributable due to habitat loss. Some sources list this species as "''Yucca spinosa'' Kunth." However, the

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes th ...

for this name at the herbarium in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

appears to be ''

Dasylirion ''Dasylirion'' is a genus of North American plants in the asparagus family, all native to Mexico, with the ranges of three species also extending into the south-western United States. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the fa ...

'' sp., thus rendering the name a "nomen confusum."Digital specimen images at the Herbarium Berolinense
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References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15507913 treculeana Plants described in 1858 Flora of the South-Central United States Flora of Northeastern Mexico