''Calibanus'' was a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of two species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s, both evergreen

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

s from dry areas of northeastern Mexico.The genus was subsumed in the genus ''

Beaucarnea ''Beaucarnea'' is a genus of flowering plants native plant, native to Mexico and Central America. In the APG III system, APG III classification system, it is placed in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the ...

'' in the year 2014. The APG III classification system places ''Beaucarnea'' in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Asparagaceae Asparagaceae (), known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, '' Asparagus officinalis''. This family includes both ...

, subfamily

Nolinoideae Nolinoideae is a monocot subfamily of the family Asparagaceae in the APG III system of 2009. It used to be treated as a separate family, Ruscaceae s.l. The family name is derived from the generic name of the type genus, '' Nolina''. The subfam ...

(formerly the family Ruscaceae.) The now-defunct ''Calibanus'' was formerly included in the Agavaceae (now

Agavoideae Agavoideae is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales. It has previously been treated as a separate family, Agavaceae. The group includes many well-known desert and dry-zone types, such as the agaves ...

) but was separated from them, for it is

polycarpic Polycarpic plants are those that flower and set seeds many times before dying. A term of identical meaning is pleonanthic and iteroparous. Polycarpic plants are able to reproduce multiple times due to at least some portion of its meristems being ...

and

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

. Its name refers to the monster

Caliban Caliban ( ), the subhuman son of the sea witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Tempest''. His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own w ...

, an

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

. It is extremely drought-tolerant, with a slow-growing habit. It has tuberous roots called caudices. The caudex can grow to 1m in diameter, with clumps of green-blue, coarse, grasslike, wiry leaves 50 cm long rising from the center and arching down with age. Clusters of tiny, creamy-white flowers, sometimes tinged with pink or purple, are rigid, about 10–20 cm long. Female plants bear globose, ovoid, 3-angled berries with ellipsoid seeds.Hernández Sandoval, L. & S. Zamudio Ruíz. 2003. Two new remarkable Nolinaceae from central Mexico. Brittonia 55(3): 226–232. File:Calibanus hookeri detail brightened.jpg, Closeup of leaves and caudex of ''

Calibanus hookeri One of only two species in its genus, ''Calibanus hookeri'' is a member of the family Asparagaceae native to Tamaulipas in Mexico, which can easily be mistaken in the wild for a boulder overgrown with grass tufts. Description ''Calibanus hook ...

'' File:Calibanus hookeri bark brightened.jpg, Detail of corky bark of caudex of ''Calibanus hookeri''

Species

# ''

Calibanus glassianus ''Beaucarnea glassiana'' is a species of flowering plant belonging to the genus ''Beaucarnea,'' which is a member of the Asparagaceae family. ''Beaucarnea glassiana'' forms a caudex geophyte and is native to the Mexican state of Guanajuato where ...

'' L.Hern. & Zamudio - Guanajuato # ''

'' (Lem.) Trel. - San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo

References

Bihrmann's Cauduciforms, ''Calibanus hookeri''
Asparagaceae genera Nolinoideae Dioecious plants {{Asparagaceae-stub