Yucca
Yucca
Yucca (/ˈjʌkə/), from the family Asparagaceae, is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees native to the hot and dry parts of the Americas and the Caribbean.
Etymology
The name "Yucca" was given by Carl Linnaeus, who had mistaken it for a type of cactus. It is derived from the Carib word for cassava, a different plant.
Description
Yucca plants are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of the Americas and the Caribbean. Early reports of the species were confused with the cassava (Manihot esculenta). Consequently, Linnaeus mistakenly derived the generic name from the Taíno word for the latter, yuca (spelled with a single "c").
Species
There are around 50 species of Yucca, including Yucca aloifolia, Yucca filamentosa, Yucca gloriosa, and Yucca brevifolia, the Joshua tree.
Uses
Yucca is used in the manufacturing of soaps, shampoos, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Some species are also used as ornamental plants.
Related Terms
- Asparagaceae: The family to which Yucca belongs.
- Genus: A rank in the biological classification (taxonomy) that groups closely related species together. Yucca is a genus.
- Perennial: A term for plants that live for more than two years.
- Shrub: A small to medium-sized woody plant.
- Tree: A tall plant with a trunk and branches.
- Panicle: A type of flower cluster.
- Rosette (botany): A circular arrangement of leaves or of structures resembling leaves.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Yucca
- Wikipedia's article - Yucca
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