Agave
Agave americana (Century Plant)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Agavaceae Genus: Agave L.
Species
see text. The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Liliopsida is a Botanical name for the class containing the family Liliaceae (or Lily Family Asparagales is an order of Flowering plants The order must include the family Asparagaceae, but other families included in the order have varied markedly Agavaceae is a family of Plants that includes many well-known Desert and dry zone types such as the Agave, Yucca, and Joshua Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. See also full listing. This is a list of Species, varieties and cultivars of Genus Agave.

Agave is a succulent plant of a large botanical genus of the same name, belonging to the family Agavaceae. Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are Water -retaining Plants adapted to Arid climate or Soil conditions Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Agavaceae is a family of Plants that includes many well-known Desert and dry zone types such as the Agave, Yucca, and Joshua

Contents 1 Description 2 Commonly grown species 2.1 Agave americana 2.2 Agave attenuata 3 Uses 4 Medical uses 5 Warnings 6 Taxonomy 7 Images of Agave species or cultivars 8 Species 9 References

Description

Chiefly Mexican, agaves occur also in the southern and western United States and in central and tropical South America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The plants have a large rosette of thick fleshy leaves, each ending generally in a sharp point and with a spiny margin; the stout stem is usually short, the leaves apparently springing from the root. In botany a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves with all the leaves at a single height Along with plants from the related genus Yucca, various Agave species are popular ornamental plants. The yuccas comprise the Genus Yucca of 40-50 species of perennials Shrubs and Trees in the Agave family Ornamental plants are typically grown in the flower Garden or as House plants Most commonly they are grown for the display of their Flowers Other common

Each rosette is monocarpic and grows slowly to flower only once. Monocarpic plants are those that Flower, set Seeds and then die During flowering a tall stem or "mast" grows from the center of the leaf rosette and bears a large number of shortly tubular flowers. After development of fruit the original plant dies, but suckers are frequently produced from the base of the stem which become new plants. A basal shoot, root sprout, adventitious shoot, water sprout or sucker is a shoot or cane which grows from a Bud at the base of a

It is a common misconception that Agaves are cacti. A cactus (plural cacti) is any member of the Spine plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas Agaves are closely related to the lily and amaryllis families, and are not related to cacti. Amaryllis is a monotypic (only one species Genus of plant also known as the Belladonna Lily or naked ladies. In Biological classification, family ( Latin

Agave species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species including Batrachedra striolata, which has been recorded on A shawii. A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example Lepidoptera is an order of Insect that includes Moths and butterflies. A butterfly is an Insect of the order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera butterflies are notable for their unusual life cycle with a A moth is an Insect closely related to the Butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Batrachedridae is a small family of Moths These are small slender moths which rest with the wings wrapped tightly around the body

Commonly grown species

The most commonly grown species include Agave americana, Agave angustifolia, Blue agave (Agave tequilana), and Agave attenuata. The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant Agave angustifolia ( Variegated Caribbean Agave) is a Plant which is native to Mexico. Blue agave, the tequila agave of the Agave tequilana species is an Agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco Agave attenuata is a species of Agave sometimes known as the "lion's tail" "swan's neck" or "foxtail" for its development of a

Agave americana

Main article: Agave americana

One of the most familiar species is Agave americana, a native of tropical America. The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant Common names include Century Plant, Maguey (in Mexico), or American Aloe (it is not, however, closely related to the genus Aloe). Aloe, also written Aloë, is a Genus containing about four hundred Species of flowering succulent Plants The name "Century Plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower, although the number of years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual, the richness of the soil and the climate; during these years the plant is storing in its fleshy leaves the nourishment required for the effort of flowering.

Agave americana, century plant, was introduced into Europe about the middle of the 16th century and is now widely cultivated for its handsome appearance; in the variegated forms the leaf has a white or yellow marginal or central stripe from base to apex. As the leaves unfold from the center of the rosette the impression of the marginal spines is very conspicuous on the still erect younger leaves. The tequ plants are usually grown in tubs and put out in the summer months, but in the winter require protection from frost. They mature very slowly and die after flowering, but are easily propagated by the offsets from the base of the stem.

Agave attenuata

Main article: Agave attenuata

A. Agave attenuata is a species of Agave sometimes known as the "lion's tail" "swan's neck" or "foxtail" for its development of a attenuata is a native of central Mexico and is uncommon in its natural habitat. Unlike most species of Agave, A. attenuata has a curved flower spike from which it derives one of its numerous common names - the foxtail agave.

A. attenuata is also commonly grown as a garden plant. Unlike many agaves, A. attenuata has no teeth or terminal spines making it an ideal plant for areas adjacent to footpaths. Like all agaves, A. attenuata is a succulent and requires little water or maintenance once established .

Uses

Four major parts of the agave are edible: the flowers, the leaves, the stalks or basal rosettes, and the sap (called aguamiel—honey water). Agave chiapensis is a species of Agave. It is a medium-sized agave with spreading rosettes of light green leaves that are variable but tend toward the ovate (Davidson 1999)

• Each agave plant will produce several pounds of edible flowers during the summer. "Edible Flowers" is also the title of a song by the Finn Brothers on their 2004 Everyone Is Here album
• The leaves may be collected in winter and spring, when the plants are rich in sap, for eating.
• The stalks, which are ready during the summer, before the blossom, weigh several pounds each. Roasted, they are sweet, like molasses.
• During the development of the inflorescence there is a rush of sap to the base of the young flower stalk. In the case of A. americana and other species, this is used in Mexico and Mesoamerica in the production of the beverage pulque. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Mesoamerica or Meso-America (Mesoamérica is a Region extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua, defined Pulque, or octli, is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the Maguey, and is a traditional native beverage
• The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently fermented. By distillation, a spirit called mezcal is prepared; one of the most well-known forms of mezcal is tequila. Mezcal (from Nahuatl mexcalli, "earth roast maguey hearts" wrongly known as 'mescal' is a Mexican distilled spirit protected by International Tequila is an agave-based spirit made primarily in the area surrounding Tequila, in the northwest of Guadalajara and in the highlands ( In 2001 the Mexican Government and European Union agreed the classification of tequila and its categories. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in 100% Blue Agave Tequila must be made from the Weber Blue Agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in certain Mexican states.

• The leaves of several species yield fiber: for instance, Agave rigida var. sisalana, Sisal hemp, Agave decipiens, False Sisal Hemp. Sisal or sisal hemp is an Agave Agave sisalana that yields a stiff Fiber used in making Rope. Agave americana is the source of pita fiber and is used as a fiber plant in Mexico, the West Indies and southern Europe. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting

• When dried and cut in slices, the flowering stem forms natural razor strops, and the expressed juice of the leaves will lather in water like soap. In origin the word strop is simply an alternative form of strap, but it is now mainly used in the sense of a flexible rectangular piece of leather or canvas used for sharpening

• The Natives of Mexico used the agave to make pens, nails and needles, as well as string to sew and make weavings. In India the plant is extensively used for hedges along railroads. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

• Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is used as an alternative to sugar in cooking. Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is a sweetener commercially produced in Mexico, from several species of Agave, including Agave tequilana Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose.

• When dried out, the stalks can be used to make didgeridoos. The didgeridoo (also known as a didjeridu or didge) is a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia.

Medical uses

• Leaf tea or tincture taken orally is used to treat constipation and excess gas. Tea refers to the cured agricultural product of the leaves leaf buds and internodes of Camellia sinensis, which have been prepared and cured for the market In Medicine, a tincture is an Alcoholic Extract (eg of leaves or other plant material or Solution of a non- volatile substance Constipation, costiveness, or irregularity, is a condition of the Digestive system in which a person (or animal experiences hard Feces that It is also used as a diuretic. A diuretic is any Drug that elevates the rate of urination ( Diuresis)

• Root tea or tincture is taken orally to treat arthritic joints. In Medicine, a tincture is an Alcoholic Extract (eg of leaves or other plant material or Solution of a non- volatile substance Arthritis (from Greek arthro-, joint + -itis, inflammation plural arthritides is a group of conditions involving damage to the Joints of the body

• The point at the end of the leaf, can be pulled out and used as a needle and thread.

• It is also being used now as a main ingredient in an energy drink.

Warnings

• The juice from many species of agave can cause acute contact dermatitis. Dermatitis is a Blanket term meaning any " Inflammation of the skin" (e It will produce reddening and blistering lasting one to two weeks. Episodes of itching may recur up to a year thereafter, even though there is no longer a visible rash. Irritation is, in part, caused by calcium oxalate raphides. Calcium oxalate is a chemical compound that forms needle-shaped crystals Raphides are needle-shaped crystals of Calcium carbonate or Calcium oxalate found in specialized plant cells called Idioblasts. Dried parts of the plants can be handled with bare hands with little or no effect. If the skin is pierced deeply enough, by the needle-like ends of the leaf from a vigorously growing plant, this can also cause blood vessels in the surrounding area to erupt and a area some 6-7cm across appear to be bruised. This may last up to two to three weeks.

Taxonomy

Agave is a genus within the family Agavaceae, which is currently placed within the order Asparagales. Agaves were once classified in Liliaceae, but most references now include them in their own family, Agavaceae. The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of Monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Agavaceae is a family of Plants that includes many well-known Desert and dry zone types such as the Agave, Yucca, and Joshua The genus Agave is divided into two subgenera: Agave and Littaea.

Agaves have long presented special difficulties for taxonomy; variations within a species may be considerable, and a number of named species are of unknown origin and may just be variants of original wild species. Taxonomy, sometimes alpha taxonomy, is the Science of finding describing and categorising Organisms thus giving rise to taxonomic groups or taxa

Spanish and Portuguese explorers probably brought agave plants back to Europe with them, but the plants became popular in Europe during the 19th century when many types were imported by collectors. Some have been continuously propagated by offset since then, and do not consistently resemble any species known in the wild, although this may simply be due to the differences in growing conditions in Europe.

Images of Agave species or cultivars

Agave americana var. The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant 'americana'	Agave americana var. The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant 'marginata'	Agave americana cv. The Century Plant or Maguey ( Agave americana) is an Agave originally from Mexico but cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant 'Medio-Picta Alba'	Agave angustifolia 'Marginata'
Agave attenuata	Agave bracteosa (Spider agave)	Agave deserti	Agave ferox
Agave filifera	Agave horrida	Agave inaequidens ssp. Agave angustifolia ( Variegated Caribbean Agave) is a Plant which is native to Mexico. Agave attenuata is a species of Agave sometimes known as the "lion's tail" "swan's neck" or "foxtail" for its development of a Agave bracteosa is a species of Agave sometimes known as "spider agave" Agave deserti ( Desert Agave, Mescal, Century Plant or Maguey) is an Agave native to Desert regions in southern barrancensis	Agave lechuguilla
Agave palmeri	Agave parryi	Agave potatorum	Agave potatorum cv. Lechuguilla ( Agave lechuguilla) is an Agave found only in the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts almost always on Limestone. Parry's Agave ( Agave parryi) is a slow-growing Agave native to New Mexico. 'Kichiokan'
Agave schidigera cv. 'Durango Delight'	Agave shawii	Agave sisalana (Sisal)	Agave stricta
Agave tequilana (Tequila agave)	Agave utahensis	Agave victoriae-reginae	Agave vilmoriniana
Agave wislizeni (syn. Agave shawii is an Agave found only along the Pacific coast of Baja California, extending north into the coastal Chaparral of southernmost Sisal or sisal hemp is an Agave Agave sisalana that yields a stiff Fiber used in making Rope. Blue agave, the tequila agave of the Agave tequilana species is an Agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco Agave utahensis is a species of Agave known by the common name Utah agave. Queen Victoria's agave ( Agave victoriae-reginae) is a small species of Agave noted for its streaks of white on sculptured geometrical leaves and popular as an Agave vilmoriniana, sometimes misspelled vilmoriana, and popularly known as Octopus agave, is a species of Agave known for its untoothed Agave parrasana)

Species

See List of Agave species. This is a list of Species, varieties and cultivars of Genus Agave.

References

• Howard Scott Gentry, Agaves of Continental North America (University of Arizona Press, 1982), the standard work, with accounts of 136 species
• Die Agaven.
• IPNI : The International Plant Name Index
• Native Plant Information Network More information on species in the Agave genus
• Davidson, Alan (1999). Howard Scott Gentry (1903-1993 was an American Botanist recognized as the world's leading authority on the Agaves He worked for the United States Alan Eaton Davidson (30 March 1924 – 2 December 2003 was a British diplomat and historian best known for his writing and editing on food and Gastronomy. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University press, xx + 892. ISBN 0-19-211579-0.  

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic