''Agave weberi'', known as maguey liso in Spanish and as Weber agave in English, is a

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 ...

perennial plant 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 wide ...

in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily

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 agave ...

. Under the synonym ''Agave neglecta'', it is known as wild century plant and Small agave – the latter in honor of its discoverer in Florida,

John Kunkel Small John Kunkel Small (January 31, 1869 – January 20, 1938) was an American botanist. Born on January 31, 1869, in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, Kunkel studied botany at Franklin & Marshall College and Columbia University. He was the first Curator of ...

. Naturalized populations in Florida were considered to be a separate species, but are now treated as synonymous with ''A. weberi''.

Description

''Agave weberi'' is a relatively short suckering species, the leafy trunks rarely more than tall. The leaves, which may be arching or reflexed, can be up to long and across. The flowering stalks can reach a height of . The flowers are yellow, up to long.

Taxonomy

There has been confusion as to the identity of this species. ''Agave weberi'' was first described in 1901 in a publication authored by Jules Poisson, who attributed the name to Jean Francois Cels. The description was based on specimens cultivated in Paris, grown on from plants originally collected in Mexico, where they were reported to be cultivated for

fiber Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...

and to make the alcoholic 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 co ...

. Later, in 1903,

described ''Agave neglecta'', based on specimens from

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. ''A. neglecta'' has been regarded as

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

, but is now treated as the same species as the Mexican ''A. weberi'' and only naturalized in Florida through human agency. ''A. weberi'' may be a

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

derived from the wild species '' A. vivipara'', although an origin from '' A. sisalana'' or '' A. kewensis'' has also been suggested.

Distribution

The distribution of ''Agave weberi'' is now determined by human activity. It is believed to have originated in northeastern Mexico (San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas), and is now naturalized in Texas and Florida in the United States and in the Northern Provinces in South Africa. In Florida, it is found in sandy soils, especially near the

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

Conservation

Based on the belief that populations in Florida were a separate species, they were the subject of

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

concerns.

Uses

''Agave weberi'' is cultivated for its value as an

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 i ...

, for the production of

, and for

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15487832, from2=Q4691606 weberi Flora of Northeastern Mexico Plants described in 1901