Yucca gigantea
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440242e89bd8066905925 |
| Scientific name | Yucca gigantea |
| Authority | Lem. |
| First published in | Ill. Hort. 6(Misc.): 91 (1859) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Crude saponin extracts are obtained from leaves and roots for use as surfactants in shampoos and liquid soaps, typically marketed as “yucca extract.” Leaves are processed to yield fiber for cordage, baskets, brushes, and brooms.
Industrial and craft applications:
Bast fiber from mature leaves is separated, twisted, and plied to make rope, twine, and cordage. The same fiber is used in basketry and brush manufacture; in some regions, whole leaves or leaf bundles are fashioned into brooms. These applications exploit fiber tenacity and flexibility derived from a high cellulose content and lignified vascular bundles.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No documented non-medicinal food or beverage uses for this taxon are reported in reliable references.
Colorants and tanning:
Leaf or root tissue yields saponins and related glycosides used as natural surfactants in cleaning and personal-care formulations rather than as dyes or tanning agents.
Wood and fiber:
Leaf-fiber products include cordage, twine, baskets, brush heads, and brooms. The leaves’ high cellulose content and lignified strands confer tensile strength and durability suitable for woven or twisted fiber goods.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Cosmetic-grade yucca extracts are prepared by extracting roots or leaves with ethanol/water to obtain saponins for foaming and cleansing in shampoos and soaps. Common specifications include total saponin content and pH of aqueous solutions, though specific ISO/ASTM methods vary by manufacturer.
Properties relevant to use:
Saponins from yucca act as amphiphilic surfactants, producing stable foams and lowering surface tension, enabling their use in cleansing and wetting applications. Leaf bast fibers exhibit high tensile strength and flexibility due to cellulose microfibrils and lignified bundles, supporting twisted and woven forms.
Standards and regulation:
Cosmetic use is subject to regional frameworks such as the EU Cosmetic Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, requiring ingredient safety assessments and cosmetic product notification. Cosmetic-grade yucca extracts typically comply with general quality specifications (e.g., assay for saponins and microbial limits) rather than a single, standardized test method.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Leaves are harvested from cultivated ornamentals and mature plants, yielding fiber and saponins without felling the entire plant. Leaves regrow after harvest, allowing periodic renewal. Wild harvest may be limited by conservation status in parts of the native range.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Sarcoyucca elephantipes | Linding. | Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 50(1): 446 (1933) |
| Yucca mazelii | W.Watson | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1889: 304 (1889) |
| Yucca mooreana | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 222 (1880) |
| Yucca guatemalensis | Baker | Refug. Bot. 5: t. 313 (1872) |
| Yucca lenneana | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 538 (1875) |
| Yucca roezlii | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 22 (1880) |
| Yucca ghiesbreghtii | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 222 (1880) |
| Yucca eleana | W.Watson | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1889: 304 (1889) |
| Dracaena lennei | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 222 (1880) |
| Dracaena yuccoides | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 222 (1880) |
| Yucca elephantipes var. ghiesbreghtii | Molon | Yucche 78. 1914 |
| Yucca elephantipes var. gigantea | (Lem.) Molon | Yucche 78. 1914 |
| Yucca elephantipes | hort. ex Regel | Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 13: 94 (1902) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | yucca guatemalensis |
| English | yucca elephantipes |
| English | izote |
| English | spineless yucca |
| English | giant yucca |
| Spanish | yucca elephantipes |
| Spanish | yuca gigante |
| Spanish | itabo |
| Spanish | izote |
| Spanish | yuca de interior |
| Spanish | yuca pie de elefante |
| Spanish | yucca guatemalensis |
| Afrikaans | jukka |
| Afrikaans | yucca elephantipes |
| Arabic | يكة عملاقة |
| Bulgarian | гигантска юка |
| German | riesen-palmlilie |
| Estonian | hiigel-tääkliilia |
| Persian | یوکای بزرگ |
| Finnish | jukkapalmu |
| Finnish | kiiltojukka |
| Hungarian | guatemalai pálmaliliom |
| Hungarian | guatemalai jukka |
| Hungarian | yucca guatemalensis |
| Japanese | イゾテ |
| Japanese | メキシコチモラン |
| Russian | Юкка гигантская |
| Swedish | jättepalmlilja |
| Chinese | 象脚王兰 |
| Chinese | 象腿丝兰 |
| Chinese | 巨丝兰 |
| Chinese | 象腳王蘭 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Europe click to expand
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Southwestern Europe
- Portugal
- Spain
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Southwestern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
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Mexico
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Southern America click to expand
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Caribbean
- Leeward Islands
- Puerto Rico
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Central America
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panamá
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Western South America
- Ecuador
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Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000752247 |
| UNII | 3R3AQS7VPG |
| Tropicos | 50193713 |
| INPN | 631011 |
| Flora of Italy | 9356 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:543700-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-291761 |
| PFAF | Yucca gigantea |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1679403 |
| IPNI | 543700-1 |
| iNaturalist | 201452 |
| GBIF | 2775716 |
| Freebase | /m/03nnbnw |
| EPPO | UCCEP |
| EOL | 1083612 |
| Wikipedia | Yucca_gigantea |
| Open Tree Of Life | 1081930 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Alien Plant Taxa for Italy and Europe: An Update | Musarella CM, Laface VL, Angiolini C, Bacchetta G, Bajona E, Banfi E, Barone G, Biscotti N, Bonsanto D, Calvia G, Cambria S, Capuano A, Caruso G, Crisafulli A, Del Guacchio E, Di Gristina E, Domina G, Fanfarillo E, Fascetti S, Fiaschi T, Galasso G, Mascia F, Mazzacuva G, Mei G, Minissale P, Motti R, Perrino EV, Picone RM, Pinzani L, Podda L, Potenza G, Rosati L, Stinca A, Tavilla G, Villano C, Wagensommer RP, Spampinato G | Plants (Basel) | 24-Feb-2024 |
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| The Mitogenomic Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Plant Pathogen Phyllosticta yuccae | Xu H, Zhu Z, Tian Z, Wei C, Fan Q, Wang Y, Shen S, Deng G, Ding M | Genes (Basel) | 17-Jan-2024 |
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| Antibiofilm and anti-quorum sensing activity of Psidium guajava L. leaf extract: In vitro and in silico approach | Khan MA, Celik I, Khan HM, Shahid M, Shahzad A, Kumar S, Ahmed B | PLoS One | 19-Dec-2023 |
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| Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Phytochemicals Found in the Yucca Genus | Culhuac EB, Maggiolino A, Elghandour MM, De Palo P, Salem AZ | Antioxidants (Basel) | 24-Feb-2023 |
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| Kaempferol: Antimicrobial Properties, Sources, Clinical, and Traditional Applications | Periferakis A, Periferakis K, Badarau IA, Petran EM, Popa DC, Caruntu A, Costache RS, Scheau C, Caruntu C, Costache DO | Int J Mol Sci | 30-Nov-2022 |
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| Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology in the Exploration of the Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Approach of Traditional Medicinal Plants | Sharma B, Yadav DK | Plants (Basel) | 25-Nov-2022 |
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| Elucidation of the Metabolite Profile of Yucca gigantea and Assessment of Its Cytotoxic, Antimicrobial, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities | Attallah NG, El-Sherbeni SA, El-Kadem AH, Elekhnawy E, El-Masry TA, Elmongy EI, Altwaijry N, Negm WA | Molecules | 16-Feb-2022 |
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| Fungal diversity notes 1387–1511: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa | Boonmee S, Wanasinghe DN, Calabon MS, Huanraluek N, Chandrasiri SK, Jones GE, Rossi W, Leonardi M, Singh SK, Rana S, Singh PN, Maurya DK, Lagashetti AC, Choudhary D, Dai YC, Zhao CL, Mu YH, Yuan HS, He SH, Phookamsak R, Jiang HB, Martín MP, Dueñas M, Telleria MT, Kałucka IL, Jagodziński AM, Liimatainen K, Pereira DS, Phillips AJ, Suwannarach N, Kumla J, Khuna S, Lumyong S, Potter TB, Shivas RG, Sparks AH, Vaghefi N, Abdel-Wahab MA, Abdel-Aziz FA, Li GJ, Lin WF, Singh U, Bhatt RP, Lee HB, Nguyen TT, Kirk PM, Dutta AK, Acharya K, Sarma VV, Niranjan M, Rajeshkumar KC, Ashtekar N, Lad S, Wijayawardene NN, Bhat DJ, Xu RJ, Wijesinghe SN, Shen HW, Luo ZL, Zhang JY, Sysouphanthong P, Thongklang N, Bao DF, Aluthmuhandiram JV, Abdollahzadeh J, Javadi A, Dovana F, Usman M, Khalid AN, Dissanayake AJ, Telagathoti A, Probst M, Peintner U, Garrido-Benavent I, Bóna L, Merényi Z, Boros L, Zoltán B, Stielow JB, Jiang N, Tian CM, Shams E, Dehghanizadeh F, Pordel A, Javan-Nikkhah M, Denchev TT, Denchev CM, Kemler M, Begerow D, Deng CY, Harrower E, Bozorov T, Kholmuradova T, Gafforov Y, Abdurazakov A, Xu JC, Mortimer PE, Ren GC, Jeewon R, Maharachchikumbura SS, Phukhamsakda C, Mapook A, Hyde KD | Fungal Divers | 07-Dec-2021 |
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| What Could Arrest an Eriophyoid Mite on a Plant? The Case of Aculops allotrichus from the Black Locust Tree | Michalska K, Studnicki M | Insects | 16-Nov-2021 |
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| Natural and Historical Heritage of the Lisbon Botanical Gardens: An Integrative Approach with Tree Collections | Cunha AR, Soares AL, Brilhante M, Arsénio P, Vasconcelos T, Espírito-Santo D, Duarte MC, Romeiras MM | Plants (Basel) | 04-Jul-2021 |
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| Ixcatec ethnoecology: plant management and biocultural heritage in Oaxaca, Mexico | Rangel-Landa S, Casas A, Rivera-Lozoya E, Torres-García I, Vallejo-Ramos M | J Ethnobiol Ethnomed | 20-Jul-2016 |
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| Common but different: The expanding realm of Cladosporium | Bensch K, Groenewald JZ, Braun U, Dijksterhuis J, de Jesús Yáñez-Morales M, Crous PW | Stud Mycol | 18-Nov-2015 |
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| Steroidal saponins from the stem of Yucca elephantipes. | Zhang Y, Zhang YJ, Jacob MR, Li XC, Yang CR | Phytochemistry | 01-Jan-2008 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |