Two new Agave species (Agavaceae) from central Arizona and their putative pre-Columbian domesticated origins

Recent fieldwork in central Arizona resulted in the discovery of two agaves that display low seed set, reproduce mainly by vegetative means, have restricted distributions, and cannot be readily assigned to any existing species. These agaves are closely associated with archaeological structures and features and can be found growing with other previously described pre-Columbian Agave domesticates. Herein we describe Agave verdensis and A. yavapaiensis, two species that can be placed within Gentry’s informal Ditepalae Agave group, and propose that they are clonal relict domesticates. The two species have affinities with A. chrysantha, A. shrevei, and A. delamateri, the latter also a central Arizona pre-Columbian domesticate. We provide a key to distinguish these species from other agaves in central Arizona and adjacent northern Mexico with which they may be confused. The discovery of these two new species brings the total number of putative Arizona Agave domesticates to five species.