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Agave Linnaeus. Common name: Century Plant, Maguey.

Key to Agave

A genus of ca. 225 species, rosette shrubs, of tropical and neotropical New World. As is so often the case, the argument between a broad Agave (including in our area Manfreda) and a narrower Agave (excluding in our area Manfreda) is not a phylogenetic "yes" or "no" answer.

Agave species are frequently planted for their horticultural value in warmer regions. Most agaves flower only once in their lifetime, producing a tall stalk that can reach up to 14 meters, after which they die. This event can take place after a decade or more of growth, earning them the nickname "century plants." Indigenous Americans have used many species for food and fiber. Agave species are the source of sisal hemp and pulque, a Mexican “beer” distilled to produce mescal and tequila. These distilled liquors are derived from the meristem and leaf base of agave. Tequila comes mainly from A. tequilana F. A. C. Weber, whereas A. angustifolia Haworth is the usual source for commercial mescal. Some variants of A. angustifolia are also important sources of fiber. Commercially, most agave fiber comes from A. sisalana Perrine in what is now a worldwide industry. Agave fourcroydes Lemaire is also used but more locally in Latin America including Mexico.

Indigenous Americans who used agave plants for food and fiber developed numerous cultivars, including many that may be the results of hybridization or mutation events resulting in fully or partially sterile clones. Some have been sufficiently studied cytologically and morphologically so that the origin of the hybrid species can be ascertained. Naturally occurring hybrids also are known, and some sterile recombinants are so distinctive that they have been formally named (e.g., Agave ×ajoensis, A. ×arizonica, A. ×glomeruliflora, and probably A. schottii var. treleasei). There remain some species that may be of hybrid origin, or at least now are sterile or partially sterile, but little is known about their origin. Essentially, all the species are known today from pre-Columbian agricultural sites, and most appear to have had a Mexican origin. Some rare species associated with pre-Columbian sites are fertile (e.g., A. murpheyi); whether they were locally selected or brought from elsewhere is unknown. None of these hybrids are known to occur outside of cultivation in our area.

Indigenous people long have used agaves. Those containing high amounts of sapogenins are bitter and generally not used for food. Agave plants used for food are harvested when they show signs of flowering. Rosettes are collected and the leaves cut away, leaving the “heart” or “head,” which is pit-baked for many hours. It has been known for a long time that agaves have been cultivated in the warmer regions of North America. Most agaves found in our area are typically found near agricultural features and possess morphological characteristics that reflect desirable agronomic attributes. Over many centuries, people have traded agave products and live plants, thereby expanding the distribution of many cultivars.

Because plant parts of Agave are typically bulky and succulent, herbarium specimens are often prepared from smaller pieces and fragments which are inadequate for identification. For identification it is necessary to have full-length mature leaves and ideally a photograph of the mature plant as well. The largest plants (and largest leaves) present should be sampled. The abaxial portion of thick, succulent leaves should be split leaving the upper epidermis and leaf margins intact to help maintain their shape during drying and pressing. If not properly prepared, the leaves often become misshapen upon drying. Young plants, bulbils, partial leaves, and inflorescence bracts are extremely difficult to identify to species and should only be collected if accompanying specimens with mature leaves are included.

Two subgenera of Agave can be recognized: Agave subg. Agave, characterized by paniculate, umbellate inflorescences and Agave subg. Littaea (Tagl.) Baker characterized by spikelike inflorescences.

ID notes: Agave species in our area are readily identified by large, rosette-forming leaves that are typically thick, fleshy, and succulent with sharp tips and marginal spines or teeth. All our species are adapted to xerophytic environments. The rosettes can vary in size, with some species forming small, compact clusters, while others can grow to be quite large. Some species possess impressive flowering stalks, which can reach several meters in height. The flowers are usually tubular or bell-shaped and are arranged in panicles or spikes. After flowering, most Agave species die, a characteristic known as monocarpic behavior.

References: Banerjee & Sharma (1989); Flores-Abreu et al. (2019); Franck (2012); Gentry (1982); Jiménez-Barron et al. (2020); Reveal & Hodgson (2002) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002a); Vázquez-García et al. (2024); Verhoek (1998) In Kubitzki (1998a); Zona (2001). Show full citations.

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image of plant© Alan M. Cressler | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Keith Bradley | Agave decipiens | Original Image ⭷

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