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Key to Agave

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1 Inflorescence a spike; [s. TX]; [subgenus Littaea]
1 Inflorescence a panicle; [FL or escaped from cultivation throughout our region]; [subgenus Agave]
  2 Terminal leaf spine decurrent (the tough spine tissue extending down the margins of the leaf); [mostly TX, also rare in FL].
    3 Leaves entire or with marginal prickles towards the base of the leaf; [rare in FL and s. TX]
    3 Leaves with stout marginal spines from base to tip; [s. TX and frequently planted but rarely escaping cultivation elsewhere].
      4 Leaves mostly reflexed, 6-10 dm long, scabrous; marginal teeth 8-15+ mm long, usually deflexed along lower leaf edge; flowers 6-8 cm long, peduncles 8-14
      4 Leaves occasionally reflexed, 8-20 dm long, smooth; marginal teeth 5-10 mm long, nearly straight or undulate to crenate; flowers 7-10 cm long, peduncles 15-35.
        5 Leaves 10-20 dm long, 6-10× as long as wide; capsules 4-8 cm long
        5 Leaves 8-13.5 dm long, 4-6× as long as wide; capsules 3.5.4 cm long
  2 Terminal leaf spine truncate (the tough spine tissue ending abruptly, at essentially a right angle to the axis of the leaf).
          6 Leaves straight, erect to ascending
             7 Leaves entire or with few and weak marginal spines; marginal spines < 3 mm long and < 4 mm wide
             7 Leaves with marginal spines all along the margins; marginal spines > 3 mm long and to 8 mm wide