''Agave'' (; ; ) is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
monocot
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one Embryo#Plant embryos, embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. Th ...
s native to the hot and
arid
A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ...
regions of the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave''
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
are also native to
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
areas of
North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for its
succulent and
xerophytic
A xerophyte (from Greek ξηρός ''xeros'' 'dry' + φυτόν ''phuton'' 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water, such as a desert such as the Sahara or places in the Alps or t ...
species that typically form large
rosettes of strong, fleshy
leaves.
''Agave'' now includes species formerly placed in a number of other genera, such as ''Manfreda'', ×''Mangave'', ''Polianthes'' and ''Prochnyanthes''.
Many plants in this genus may be considered
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...
, because they require several to many years to mature and flower.
However, most ''Agave'' species are more accurately described as
monocarpic
Monocarpic plants are those that flower and set seeds only once, and then die.
The term is derived from Greek (''mono'', "single" + ''karpos'', "fruit" or "grain"), and was first used by Alphonse de Candolle. Other terms with the same meaning ar ...
rosettes or multiannuals, since each individual rosette
flowers only once and then dies; a small number of ''Agave'' species are
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 ...
.
Maguey flower
The maguey flower (''Agave'' spp.), in Spanish, flor de maguey (), also known locally as gualumbo, hualumbo, quiote or jioteThe term ''quiote'' or ''jiote'' (from the Nahuatl ''quiotl'', "stem", "bud") refers mainly to the vigorous edible stem tha ...
s are considered edible in many indigenous culinary traditions of Mesoamerica.
Along with plants from the closely related genera ''
Yucca
''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial plant, perennial shrubs and trees in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their Rosette (botany), rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped Leaf, ...
'', ''
Hesperoyucca
''Hesperoyucca'' is a small genus of two recognized species of flowering plants closely related to, and recently split from, ''Yucca'', which is in the century plant subfamily within the asparagus family.
Description
''Hesperoyucca'' is distin ...
'', and ''
Hesperaloe
''Hesperaloe'' (false yucca) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It contains perennial yucca-like plants with long, narrow leaves produced in a basal rosette and flowers borne on long panicles or race ...
,'' various ''Agave'' species are popular
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...
s in hot, dry climates, as they require very little supplemental water to survive.
Most ''Agave'' species grow very slowly.
Some ''Agave'' species are known by the common name "century plant".
[Bailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. ''Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada''. Macmillan, New York.]
Description
The succulent
leaves of most ''Agave'' species have sharp marginal teeth, an extremely sharp terminal
spine, and are very fibrous inside.
The stout stem is usually extremely short, which may make the plant appear as though it is stemless.
''Agave'' rosettes are mostly
monocarpic
Monocarpic plants are those that flower and set seeds only once, and then die.
The term is derived from Greek (''mono'', "single" + ''karpos'', "fruit" or "grain"), and was first used by Alphonse de Candolle. Other terms with the same meaning ar ...
, though some species are
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 ...
.
During flowering, a tall stem or "mast" ("''quiote''" in Mexico), which can grow to be high,
grows apically from the center of the rosette and bears a large number of short, tubular flowers and sometimes vegetatively produced bulbils (a form of asexual reproduction). After
pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...
/
fertilization
Fertilisation or fertilization (see spelling differences), also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give rise to a new individual organism or offspring and initiate its development. Proce ...
and subsequent fruit development, in monocarpic species, the original rosette dies. However, throughout the lifetime of many ''Agave'' species,
rhizomatous
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow ho ...
sucker
Sucker may refer to:
General use
* Lollipop or sucker, a type of confection
* Sucker (slang), a slang term for a very gullible person
* Hard candy
** Cough drop
** Mint (candy)
Biology
* Sucker (botany), a term for a shoot that arises undergro ...
s develop above the roots at the base of the rosette.
These suckers go on to form new plants after the original rosette
desiccate
Desiccation () is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.
...
s and dies.
Not all agaves produce suckers throughout their lifetimes; some species rarely or never produce suckers, while others may only develop suckers after final maturation with inflorescence.
Some varieties can live for 60 years before flowering.
Agaves can be confused with
cacti,
aloes, or
stonecrops, but although these plants all share similar morphological adaptations to arid environments (e.g.
succulence), each group belongs to a different plant family and probably experienced
convergent evolution
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last com ...
.
Further, cactus (
Cactaceae
A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...
) and stonecrop (
Crassulaceae
The Crassulaceae (from Latin ''crassus'', thick), also known as the stonecrop family or the orpine family, are a diverse family of dicotyledon flowering plants characterized by succulent leaves and a unique form of photosynthesis, known as Crass ...
) lineages are
eudicots
The eudicots, Eudicotidae, or eudicotyledons are a clade of flowering plants mainly characterized by having two seed leaves upon germination. The term derives from Dicotyledons.
Traditionally they were called tricolpates or non-magnoliid dicots ...
, while aloes (
Asphodelaceae
Asphodelaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. Such a family has been recognized by most taxonomists, but the circumscription has varied widely. In its current circumscription in the APG IV system, it includes about 4 ...
) and agaves (
Asparagaceae) are
monocots
Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, ( Lilianae '' sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of ...
.
Adaptations
The agave root system, consisting of a network of shallow rhizomes, allows the agave to efficiently capture moisture from rain, condensation, and dew. In addition to growing from seeds, most agaves produce 'pups' – young plants from runners. ''
Agave vilmoriniana'' (the octopus agave) produces hundreds of pups on its bloom stalk. Agave leaves store the plant's water and are crucial to its continued existence. The coated leaf surface prevents evaporation. The leaves also have sharp, spiked edges. The spikes discourage predators from eating the plant or using it as a source of water and are so tough that ancient peoples used them for sewing needles. The
sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant.
Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separ ...
is acidic. Some agaves bloom at a height up to so that they are far out of reach to animals that might attack them. Smaller species, such as ''
Agave lechuguilla
''Agave lechuguilla'' (common name in Chihuahua: ''lechuguilla'', meaning "small lettuce") is an ''Agave'' species found only in the Chihuahuan Desert. The plant flowers once in its life and then dies.
Description
The plant reproduces most ...
'', have smaller bloom stalks.
Taxonomy
The genus name ''Agave'' come from the Ancient Greek from ''agauós'' meaning "illustrious, noble"
having to do with very tall
flower spikes found on its many species.
The genus ''Agave'' was erected by
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...
in 1753, initially with four species. The first listed was ''
Agave americana
''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...
'', now the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
.
[ In the ]Cronquist system
The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in a series of monographs and texts, including ''The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants'' (1968; 2nd edition, 1988) ...
and others, ''Agave'' was placed in the family Liliaceae
The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair a ...
, but phylogenetic
In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...
analyses of DNA sequences later showed it did not belong there.[ In the ]APG II system
The APG II system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II system) of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Gr ...
, ''Agave'' was placed in the segregated family Agavaceae.[ When this system was superseded by the APG III system in 2009, the Agavaceae were subsumed into the expanded family Asparagaceae, and ''Agave'' was treated as one of 18 genera in the subfamily Agavoideae,][ a position retained in the ]APG IV system
The APG IV system of flowering plant classification is the fourth version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy for flowering plants (angiosperms) being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). It was published ...
of 2016.[
Agaves and close relatives have long presented significant taxonomic difficulty. These difficulties could be due to the relatively young evolutionary age of the group (major diversification events of the group most likely occurred 8–10 ]million years ago
The abbreviation Myr, "million years", is a unit of a quantity of (i.e. ) years, or 31.556926 teraseconds.
Usage
Myr (million years) is in common use in fields such as Earth science and cosmology. Myr is also used with Mya (million years ago) ...
), ease of hybridization between species (and even genera), incomplete lineage sorting
Incomplete lineage sorting, also termed hemiplasy, deep coalescence, retention of ancestral polymorphism, or trans-species polymorphism, describes a phenomenon in population genetics when ancestral gene copies fail to coalesce (looking backwards i ...
, and long generation times.[ Within a species, morphological variations can be considerable, especially in cultivation; a number of named species may actually just be variants of original wild-type species that horticulturalists bred to appear unique in cultivation.
Molecular phylogenetic analyses from 1996 onwards repeatedly showed that the previously separate genera ''Manfreda'', ''Polianthes'' and ''Prochnyanthes'' were embedded in ''Agave'', as traditionally circumscribed, making ''Agave'' paraphyletic.][ These genera are now combined with ''Agave'' to form ''Agave'' ]sensu lato
''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular c ...
, which contains about 252 species total. Traditionally, the genus ''Agave'' was circumscribed to be composed of about 166 species.[
In some of the older classifications, ''Agave'' was divided into two subgenera, ''Agave'' and ''Littaea'', based on the form of the ]inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
. These two subgenera are probably not monophyletic.[ A 2019 classification uses three subgenera:][
*''Agave'' subg. ''Littaea'' (Tagl.) Baker (8 sections)
*''Agave'' subg. ''Agave'' (22 sections)
*''Agave'' subg. ''Manfreda'' (Salisbury) Baker (2 sections) – includes former genera ''Manfreda'', ''Polianthes'', ''Bravoa'' and ''Prochnyanthes''
Hybrids between species in ''Agave'' subg. ''Manfreda'' and other species were given the ]nothogenus
In botanical nomenclature, a hybrid may be given a hybrid name, which is a special kind of botanical name, but there is no requirement that a hybrid name should be created for plants that are believed to be of hybrid origin. The ''International Co ...
name ×''Mangave'' when ''Manfreda'' was recognized as a separate genus.[
]
Commonly grown species
Some commonly grown species include ''Agave americana'', '' A. angustifolia'', '' A. attenuata'', '' A. murpheyi'', '' A. palmeri'', '' A. parryi'', '' A. parviflora'', '' A. tequilana'', '' A. victoriae-reginae'', and '' A. vilmoriniana''.
''A. americana''
One of the most familiar species is ''A. americana'', a native of tropical America. Common names include century plant, ''maguey'' (in Mexico), or American aloe (though not related to the genus '' Aloe''). The name "century plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. The number of years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual plant, 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.
''A. americana'', century plant, was introduced into southern Europe about the middle of the 16th century and is now naturalized as well as widely cultivated as an ornamental, as it is in the Americas. In the variegated forms, the leaf has a white or yellow marginal or central stripe. As the leaves unfold from the center of the rosette, the impression of the marginal spines is conspicuous on the still erect younger leaves. The plant is reported being hardy to -9.5 to -6.5 °C or Zone 8b 15-20f. Being succulents, they tend to rot if kept too wet. In areas such as America's Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...
, they might be hardy for cold winter temperatures, but need protection from winter rain. They mature very slowly and die after flowering but are easily propagated by the offsets from the base of the stem.
''A. americana'' (a blue variety) occurs in abundance in the Karoo, and arid highland regions of South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. Introduced by the British settlers in 1820, the plant was originally cultivated and used as emergency feed for livestock. Today, it is used mainly for the production of syrup and sugar.
''A. attenuata''
''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. It 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, it is a succulent and requires little water or maintenance once established.
''A. tequilana''
''Agave azul'' (blue agave) is used in the production of tequila
Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...
. It is native to the Caribbean as well as many regions of Mexico like Colima, Nayarit, Jalisco and more. In 2001, the Mexican government and European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
agreed upon the classification of tequila and its categories. All 100% blue agave tequila must be made from the ''A. tequilana'' 'Weber's Blue' agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in certain Mexican states. Blue agave is significantly different from other types of agave because it is higher in fructose and much sweeter compared to the rest. It is also the primary source for agave nectar, a syrupy sweetener made for consumption.
Ecology
''Agave'' species are used as food plants by the larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
...
e of some Lepidoptera (butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprise ...
and moth
Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...
) species, including '' Batrachedra striolata'', which has been recorded on ''A. shawii''.
Toxicity
Some species contain components in their juice which can cause dermatitis
Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can ...
for some people.
Uses
The ethnobotany of the agave was described by William H. Prescott
William Hickling Prescott (May 4, 1796 – January 28, 1859) was an American historian and Hispanist, who is widely recognized by historiographers to have been the first American scientific historian. Despite having serious visual impairm ...
in 1843:
But the miracle of nature was the great Mexican aloe, or maguey, whose clustering pyramids of flowers, towering above their dark coronals of leaves, were seen sprinkled over many a broad acre of the table-land. As we have already noticed its bruised leaves afforded a paste from which paper was manufactured, its juice was fermented into an intoxicating beverage, pulque
Pulque (; nci, metoctli), or octli, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, a rather viscous c ...
, of which the natives, to this day, are extremely fond; its leaves further supplied an impenetrable thatch for the more humble dwellings; thread, of which coarse stuffs were made, and strong cords, were drawn from its tough and twisted fibers; pins and needles were made from the thorns at the extremity of its leaves; and the root, when properly cooked, was converted into a palatable and nutritious food. The agave, in short, was meat, drink, clothing, and writing materials for the Aztec! Surely, never did Nature enclose in so compact a form so many of the elements of human comfort and civilization!
The four major edible parts of the agave are the flowers, the leaves, the stalks or basal rosettes, and the sap (in Spanish: ''aguamiel
Aguamiel ( literally ''agua'' "water" ''miel'' "honey") is the sap of the Mexican maguey plant which is believed to have therapeutic qualities. According to Native American histories, the process of obtaining aguamiel from maguey was first disc ...
'', meaning "honey water"). The sap of some species can also be used as soap.
Food and fibre
Each agave plant produces several pounds of edible flower
Edible flowers are flowers that can be consumed safely. Flowers may be eaten as vegetables as a main part of a meal, or may be used as herbs. Flowers are part of many regional cuisines, including Asian, European, and Middle Eastern cuisines.La ...
s during its final season. The stalks, which are ready during the summer, before the blossom, weigh several pounds each. Roasted, they are sweet and can be chewed to extract the sap or ''aguamiel
Aguamiel ( literally ''agua'' "water" ''miel'' "honey") is the sap of the Mexican maguey plant which is believed to have therapeutic qualities. According to Native American histories, the process of obtaining aguamiel from maguey was first disc ...
'', like sugarcane. When dried out, the stalks can be used to make didgeridoos. The leaves may be collected in winter and spring, when the plants are rich in sap, for eating. The leaves of several species also yield fiber, for instance, '' A. sisalana'', the sisal hemp, and '' A. decipiens'', the false sisal hemp. ''A. americana'' is the source of pita fiber, and is used as a fiber plant in Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
, and southern Europe.
The agave, especially ''A. murpheyi'', was a major food source for the prehistoric indigenous people
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of the Southwestern United States. The Hohokam of southern Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
cultivated large areas of agave.
The Navajo similarly found many uses for the agave plant. A beverage is squeezed from the baked fibers, and the heads can be baked or boiled, pounded into flat sheets, sun dried, and stored for future use. The baked, dried heads are also boiled and made into an edible paste, eaten whole, or made into soup. The leaves are eaten boiled, and the young, tender flowering stalks and shoots are roasted and eaten as well. The fibers are used to make rope, the leaves are used to line baking pits, and the sharp-pointed leaf tips are used to make basketry awls.
During the development of the inflorescence, sap rushes to the base of the young flower stalk. Agave syrup (commonly called agave nectar), a sweetener derived from the sap, is used as an alternative to sugar in cooking, and can be added to breakfast cereals as a binding agent. The agave sweetener is marketed as natural and diabetic-friendly, without spiking blood sugar levels. However, extracts from agave leaves are under preliminary research for their potential use as food additives.
Beverages and tequila
The sap of ''A. americana'' and other species is used in Mexico and Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica ...
to produce ''pulque
Pulque (; nci, metoctli), or octli, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, a rather viscous c ...
'', an alcoholic beverage. The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently fermented. By distillation, a spirit called ''mezcal
Mezcal (, ), sometimes spelled mescal, is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. The word ''mezcal'' comes from Nahuatl , which means "oven-cooked agave", from and .What is MezcalElmezcal.org Traditionally the word " ...
'' is prepared; one of the best-known forms of mezcal is ''tequila''. ''A. tequilana'' or ''A. tequilana'' var. ''azul'' is used in the production of tequila. ''A. angustifolia'' is widely used in the production of ''mezcal'' and ''pulque'', though at least 10 other ''Agave'' species are also known to be used for this.
Research
Agave can be used as the raw material for industrial production of fructan
A fructan is a polymer of fructose molecules. Fructans with a short chain length are known as fructooligosaccharides. Fructans can be found in over 12% of the angiosperms including both monocots and dicots such as agave, artichokes, asparagus, l ...
s as a prebiotic dietary fiber.[ Resulting from its natural ]habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
in stressful environments, agave is under preliminary research for its potential use in germplasm
Germplasm are living genetic resources such as seeds or tissues that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, preservation, and other research uses. These resources may take the form of seed collections stored in seed banks, t ...
conservation and in biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...
to better anticipate the economic effects of global climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
. It may also have use as a bioethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a hyd ...
or bioenergy feedstock.
Images of species and cultivars
Image:Agave_americana4.jpg, ''Agave americana
''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...
'' var. ''americana''
Image:Variegated Century Plant -- Agave americana 'Marginata'.jpg, Variegated Century Plant -- ''Agave americana
''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...
'' 'Marginata'
Image:Agave americana74.jpg, ''Agave americana
''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...
'' 'Marginata'
Image:Agave americana 'Medio-Picta' Plant 3264px.jpg, ''Agave americana
''Agave americana'', common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has b ...
'' cv. 'Mediopicta Alba'
Image:Agaveespinho2.jpg, ''Agave angustifolia
''Agave angustifolia'' (Caribbean agave) is a type of agave plant which is native to Mexico and Central America. It is used to make mezcal and also as an ornamental plant, the cultivar 'Marginata' that white margins on the leaves is a popular v ...
'' 'Marginata'
Image:Caribbean Agave (Agave angustifolia) with inflorescence at Secunderabad, AP W IMG 6676.jpg, ''Agave angustifolia
''Agave angustifolia'' (Caribbean agave) is a type of agave plant which is native to Mexico and Central America. It is used to make mezcal and also as an ornamental plant, the cultivar 'Marginata' that white margins on the leaves is a popular v ...
'' (flowering)
Image:Agave attenuata Pot 2250px.jpg, '' Agave attenuata''
Image:Agave bracteosa.jpg, ''Agave bracteosa
''Agave bracteosa'' is a species of agave sometimes known as spider agave or squid agave. It is native to the Sierra Madre Oriental of México (spanning the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Nuevo León), where it prefers well-drained and shaded ...
'' (spider agave)
Image:Agave_deserti_form.jpg, '' Agave deserti''
Image:Agave_filifera01.jpg, '' Agave filifera''
Image:Agave inaequidens ssp barrancensis.jpg, ''Agave inaequidens'' ssp. ''barrancensis''
Image:Agave lechuguilla0.jpg, ''Agave lechuguilla
''Agave lechuguilla'' (common name in Chihuahua: ''lechuguilla'', meaning "small lettuce") is an ''Agave'' species found only in the Chihuahuan Desert. The plant flowers once in its life and then dies.
Description
The plant reproduces most ...
''
Image:Agaveespinho1.jpg, '' Agave lophantha''
Image:Agave palmeri.jpg, '' Agave palmeri''
Image:Agave parrasana.jpg, ''Agave parrasana
''Agave parrasana'', the cabbage head agave or cabbage head century plant, is a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. A slow-growing evergreen succulent plant, succulent from North East Mexico, it produces a compact rosette of fleshy thorn- ...
'' (syn. ''Agave wislizeni'' subsp. ''parrasana'')
Image:California Cabbage Agave.jpg, '' Agave parryi''
Image:Agave potatorum Kichiokan.jpg, ''Agave potatorum'' cv. 'Kichiokan'
Image:agave.potatorum.kewgardens.london.arp.jpg, '' Agave salmiana''
Image:Agave_ferox_3.jpg, '' Agave salmiana'' var. ''ferox''
Image:Agave schidigera Durango Delight.jpg, ''Agave schidigera'' cv. 'Durango Delight'
Image:Agave shawii 1.jpg, '' Agave shawii''
Image:Plantsisal.jpg, '' Agave sisalana'' (sisal)
Image:Agave sisalana W IMG_2377.jpg, '' Agave sisalana'' (flowers)
Image:Agave stricta Monaco.jpg, ''Agave stricta
''Agave stricta'', the hedgehog agave, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Puebla and Oaxaca in Southern Mexico. Growing to tall, it is an evergreen succulent with rosettes of narrow spiny leaves producing er ...
''
Image:Agave tequilana F.A.C. Weber 2013 cropped.jpg, '' Agave tequilana''
Image:Agave tequilana0.jpg, '' Agave tequilana'' 'Weber's Azul' (tequila agave)
Image:Agave utahensis leaves.jpg, '' Agave utahensis''
Image:Agave victoriae-reginae lv 2.jpg, ''Agave victoriae-reginae
''Agave victoriae-reginae'', the Queen Victoria agave or royal agave, is a small species of succulent flowering perennial plant, noted for its streaks of white on sculptured geometrical leaves, and popular as an ornamental.
This agave is highly ...
''
Image:Agave vilmoriniana 2.jpg, '' Agave vilmoriniana''
Image:A133 agave weberi - Flickr - Juan Ignacio 1976.jpg, '' Agave weberi''
Image:Agave xylonacantha 1.jpg, '' Agave xylonacantha''
Species
References
{{Authority control
Agavoideae
Asparagaceae genera
Crops originating from the Americas
Drought-tolerant plants
Garden plants of North America
Medicinal plants
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Plants used in Native American cuisine
Plants used in traditional Native American medicine