Wild century plant

Plants acaulescent or short-stemmed, trunks less than 1 m; rosettes open. Leaves frequently reflexed, 80–135 × 17–22 cm; blade light green to glaucous-gray, sometimes cross-zoned, broadly lanceolate, adaxially plane or guttered, abaxially convex; margins crenate, teeth, 5–10 mm; apical spine subulate, 3–6 cm. Scape 6–8 m. Inflorescences: lateral branches 15–20. Flowers 7.5–9 cm; perianth tube 15–20 mm; ovary 4–4.5 cm. Capsules 3.5–4 cm. Seeds 7–8 mm.

Flowering early spring--early summer. Sandy places in desert scrub; 200 m; Tex.; ne Mexico.

The Starr County, Texas, plants of subsp. protamericana are smaller in stature than those seen in Mexican populations but appear to belong to this wild taxon.