Taxon Report
Agave shawii Engelm. var. shawiiShaw's agave |
 ©2017 Keir Morse |
Taxon Summary
Agave shawii var. shawii, commonly known as Shaw's agave, is a perennial leaf in the Agavaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 3 to 120 meters. Agave shawii var. shawii is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Agave shawii Engelm. var. shawii |
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Common Name: |
Shaw's agave |
| Family: | Agavaceae |
| Element Code: | PMAGA010P1 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial leaf |
| Blooming Period: Sep-May | Sep-May |
| Elevation: | 3-120 (10-395) |
| General Habitats: | Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal scrub |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: | Maritime succulent scrub |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 2B.1 |
| Global Rank: | G2G3T2T3 |
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State Rank: |
S1 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | IUCN_EN; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_SBBG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 8 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 1 |
| Good (B) | 1 |
| Fair (C) | 0 |
| Poor (D) | 2 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 4 |
| California Endemic: False | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| San Diego (SDG) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Del Mar (3211782), Encinitas (3311713), Imperial Beach (3211751), Point Loma (3211762) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 9 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 5 | 63 % | |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 4 | 50% |
| Erosion/runoff | 3 | 37% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 2 | 25% |
| Other | 2 | 25% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 1 | 12% |
| Vandalism/dumping/litter | 1 | 12% |
| Wood cutting or brush clearing | 1 | 12% |
| Development | 1 | 12% |
| Military operations | 1 | 12% |
Notes
| Introduced at several locations, including Cabrillo NM. See Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Occasional Publications 14 (2014) by S.E. Vanderplank for conservation plan. |
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Threats: |
| Seriously threatened by habitat loss, habitat disturbance, development, trampling, genetic isolation, low recruitment, and genetic dilution from introduced plants. Previously threatened by horticultural collecting, but less so in recent years. |
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Taxonomy: |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 7 November 2025].