U vindt dit artikel in de Nederlandse taal in succulenta no.5 in 2004

The Name Agave gilberti ( Berger ) has priority in nomenclature over  Agave bakeri ( Hooker ex Watson )

By Jos van Roosbroeck

A. bakeri,(now gilberti) pict.from Garden Watson,W.:240/241; 124/4.1902 Pct.collection Bernd Ullrich

In 1981 we found in the seed list of  Crista’s Cactus, U.S.A. seeds with the name Agave colimana-196. The seedlings grew very well, but after two years we came to the conclusion that the seedlings could not belong   to the taxon Agave colimana because the leaves were straight and toothless.  At that time the plants looked more like Agave attenuata.
I gave some of the seedlings to my friend Bernd Ullrich, who was then  a well known agave expert.

Bulbils from the flowerstock of Agave gilberti, look to the midstripe and the hanging leaves.Pict.Wim,collection Jos.

On his first trip to Mexico in 1987  Bernd Ullrich had visited the habitat of Agave attenuata and Agave pedunculifera.  I was still hoping that maybe my seedlings of Agave colimana-196 were actually Agave pedunculifera or Agave attenuata, but when I looked at  the pictures from those plants in habitat I came to the conclusion that my Agave colimana-196 was definitely not Agave colimana but at the same time not Agave attenuata or Agave pedunculifera either.

The first time I saw a picture of  “my “ Agave colimana-196 was in the colour-appendix in the 1988 reprint of Berger’s  “Die Agaven” as  picture 17. This picture was taken by Max Wieland in Pforzheim in the garden of Bernd Ullrich’s parents. It is not possible to read the label in that picture. Max Wieland himself owns a small nursery and these plants are available there, incorrectly labelled as Agave pedunculifera.

In 1990  I started my research to discover the origin of these seeds , wrongly  named Agave colimana-196. The seed dealer from Christa’s Cactus informed me that the seeds  had originated from Dudley B. Gold from Cuernavaca Mexico, owner of a  big succulent collection based in his garden.

My friend Bernd Ullrich also  tried to research this subject  and wrote a letter to Mr.Gold, but unfortunately his research came to a sudden halt with the untimely death of this gentleman.

A. gilberti, full growing plant.Pict.Wim.Collection Jos.

So What Is My  Agave Colimana-196 ?

My seedlings continued to grow very well and in the winter/spring of 1998/1999 the first plant started  flowering. Only one plant was harvested from the seeds  but in the summer of 1999 the plant produced many bulbils in the flower stalk. I took many pictures of the plants and flowers and discussed the matter with Bernd Ullrich and from these deliberations arose  for the first time the idea that this plant perhaps represented the old Agave bakeri ( Hooker ex Watson ). This was based on  the fact that this plant formed a stem and the leaves were curved with red colouring on the sides.
Bernd Ullrich came to my collection in Belgium studied the flowers and ultimately came to the conclusion that this was the plant described by Gentry as Agave bakeri.
What we also see is the light midline stripe on the leaves like Agave colimana!
This is the same plant as the plant in the black and white picture labelled Agave bakeri from the collection of  W. Watson in 1902.
The appearance of the flowers helped to confirm the theory as fact. (  Tepals: reflexed rolled) See also the drawing  in Berger Die Agaven  pag. 42 pict. 5.

In his “Agavensystematik fur das IOS-Lexikon (Vorschlag) “ Bernd Ullrich draws attention  to the fact that  the name Agave gilberti ( Berger ) has priority over the name Agave bakeri
( Hooker ex Watson ).
The name Agave bakeri was  used by Ross (1894) Palermo as a synonym for Agave karwinskii.
The name Agave bakeri is no longer appropriate and should not be used.

In his work of Gentry you find the name A. gilberti with two “i”  i.e. A. gilbertii.  In the original description from Berger (1904) in the Monatsschrift f. K. 126  the name is consistently used with only one “i”. The name originates from John Gilbert Baker.

Acknowledgments, to Wim Alsemgeest, Stef van Dort and Theo van ‘t Walderveen. And for the help with the translation from Dutch to English, Jan Kolendo.

Agave gilberti in full flower in the collection of Frans v.d. Laar The Netherlands.Pct.F.v.d.Laar.

Literatuur:
Berger, A. (1915) . Die  Agaven – Beitrage zu einer  Monografie- Gustav  Fischer Verlag Stuttgart, New York, Herdruk , 1988. Gustaf  Fischer Verlag Stuttgart, New York.
Nachdruck der 1. Auflage, 1988 Gustav Fischer Verlag Stuttgart, New York
Breitung,A.J. (1968) . The Agaves . The Cactus  and Succulent. Journal Yearbook. Abby Garden Press.
Eggli, U.(2001) : Sukkulentenlexikon Band 1. Einkeimblattrige Pflanzen (Monocotyledonen). Stuttgard.
Gentry, H.S. (1982) Agaves of the continental North America – The University of Arizona Press, Tucson.
Heller Thomas (2003) Agaven Natur und Tier Verlag GmbH Munster
Irish, M.& G. Irish (2000) : Agaves and related Plants – A Gardners Guide – Timber Press Portland Oregon.
Jacobsen, H. (1955) : Handbuch der sukkulenten pflanzen. – Gustav Fischer Verlag Jena.I.P.N.I. The International Plant Names Index. Internet: http://www.ipni.org
Korevaar, L.C. et al. (1983) Wat betekend die naam. Botanisch Latijn toegankelijk gemaakt. Succulenta.
Thiede, J. (2001): Agavaceae – In Eggli, U. :Sukkulentenlexicon  Band 1, Einkeimblättrige Pflanzen. (Monocoltyledonen).- Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart.
Ullrich, B. Agavensystematiek Fur dass I.O.S.- Lexicon (1. Vorschlag) 3/1991

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