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Agave toumeyana

Trel.

Toumey's Agave

G3Vulnerable Found in 8 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.154970
Element CodePMAGA010R0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderAsparagales
FamilyAsparagaceae
GenusAgave
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2026-01-30
Change Date2006-01-18
Edition Date2026-01-30
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2026)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Agave toumeyana is a perennial succulent, forb to shrub found in open gravelly to rocky limestone or basalt slopes, mostly with desert scrub, chaparral, and pinyon-juniper woodlands. It occurs in the southwestern United States where it is endemic to south-central Arizona. There are approximately 70 occurrences, which face threats from development, cattle grazing, mining, and potentially hybridization. Little is known about trends, and monitoring of populations should be conducted to improve our understanding of reproduction, plant abundance, threats, and trends, as well as continuing conservation measures to protect the taxon.
Range Extent Comments
Agave toumeyana occurs in the southwestern United States where it is endemic to south-central Arizona in the Bradshaw Mountains, Sierra Ancha Mountains, and Galiuro Mountains in Gila, Graham, Maricopa, Pinal, and Yavapai counties (FNA 2002). Range extent was estimated to be approximately 21,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (AZGFD 2025, RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, SEINet 2026).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 70 occurrences rangewide (AZGFD 2025, RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, SEINet 2026).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, this taxon is threatened by development, cattle grazing, mining, and potentially hybridization (with Agave chrysantha), though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this taxon (FNA 2002, Salywon 2019).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Agave toumeyana grows in "open gravelly to rocky limestone or basalt slopes, mostly with desert scrub, chaparral, and pinyon-juniper woodlands" (FNA 2002).

Reproduction

This taxon flowers in late spring to summer (FNA 2002). Plants are monocarpic, meaning they flower once in their lifetime and then die. Plants create colonies; they are freely suckering, creating new individuals at the base of parent plants (FNA 2002).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownModerate - slightHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningUnknownUnknownUnknown
3.2 - Mining & quarryingUnknownUnknownUnknown
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownUnknown
8.3 - Introduced genetic materialUnknownUnknownUnknown

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (8)
Arizona (8)
AreaForestAcres
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
HellsgateTonto National Forest6,171
Horse MesaTonto National Forest9,146
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
Pine Mountain Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest6,518
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
References (8)
  1. Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). 2025. Data export from Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System (Biotics 5). Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ (accessed 19 Dec 2025).
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2026. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2026).
  4. iNaturalist. 2026. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2026).
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  7. Salywon, A. 2019. <i>Agave toumeyana</i>. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T115698297A116354563. Online. Available: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T115698297A116354563.en (accessed 2026).
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2026. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2026).