A MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF A PUTATIVE HYBRID BETWEEN AGAVE MARMORATA ROEZL AND AGAVE KERCHOVEI LEM - AGAVE PEACOCKII CROUCHER

A supposed hybrid population (Agave peacockii) between Agave marmorata and Agave kerchovei in a semiarid ecosystem at Zapotitlan Salinas, in the Mexican State of Puebla, was investigated, and its hybrid status corroborated in morphometric terms. A Stepwise Discriminant Analysis o f the ratios: Number of leaves/ Rosette diameter, Leaf width/Leaf leng th, Number of spines/Leaf length, Distance between the upper spine and the tip of the leaf/Leaf length, and Distance between the upper spine and the tip of the leaf/Number of spines, supported our hypothesis of the existence of these naturally occurring hybrids, which are interme diate and distinct from the parental species. A null model was constru cted to contrast the real case with a possible artifact, and the resul ts also supported our hypothesis. The possible meaning of this kind of hybridization is discussed. (C) 1996 The Linnean Society of London