Most Dasylirion species have strap-like leaves with saw-toothed edges, but D. longissimum is an exception, since it has toothless needle-like leaves. It comes from the Mexican states of Hidalgo and Queretaro, and it looks very much like D. quadrangulatum from farther north - except that they have floral differences and well-separated distributions. Like all Dasylirion species, this one has separate male and female plants. The upper photo shows a female plant in flower, and the middle photo is a close-up of the female flowers. The lower photo shows the flowers of a male plant. Both the male and female plants have a stout stalk with large papery bracts and little finger-like floral branches bearing innumerable numbers of tiny flowers that are bee-magnets. But as can be seen, the female floral branches are erect and a little greenish, while the male ones are whiter and tend to bend. Later on, the female inflorescence will turn a rusty red color, lasting well into the autumn. Dasylirion is related to Nolina and Beaucarnea, and all of these are placed in the subfamily Nolinoideae within the Asparagus Family (formerly, they had their own family - Nolinaceae).
