Posted by Paul S again on November 8, 2006, 3:53 am, in reply to "Re: Agave montana vs. A. gentryi" So far as I can ascertain, the plants Gentry describes as macroculmis include the colonies of plants now considered as Agave montana that were seen growing with and around the macroculmis and assumed to be part of the same complex of plants. Gentry mentions variability, with populations in the high mountains east of Saltillo showing congested inflorescences. My guess is that these plants he observed are, in fact, Agave montana as that is exactly where they are to be found. Plus those club-like inflorescence branches he describes are a way marker for montana colonies. Taxonomically, post Gentry, there was no distinction made between them and in 1990 macroculmis was re-classified as Agave gentryi (in his honour), though I am not entirely sure why this change would have been made. Not until 1996 was Agave montana itself described as a separate species and split off from gentryi. Some some early references and pictures show both species - in Gentry itself, under the entry for macroculmis, there is a drawing that shows the congested inflorescences of a montana alongside a photo of the more open inflorescences of gentryi. I guess calling them atrovirens in the early days was just a booboo as the name already belonged to the more southern beauty.
I've been doing a little digging on this and think I've finally got a handle on it. Not ALL macroculmis are now gentryi - some are now montana.
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