Ixtle, also known by the trade name Tampico fiber, is a stiff

plant fiber Fiber crops are field crops grown for their fibers, which are traditionally used to make paper, cloth, or rope. Fiber crops are characterized by having a large concentration of cellulose, which is what gives them their strength. The fibers may b ...

obtained from a number of Mexican plants, chiefly species of ''

Agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...

'' and ''

Yucca ''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flo ...

''. The principal source is ''

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 ...

'', the dominant ''Agave'' species in the

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower P ...

. ''Ixtle'' is the common name (or part of the common name) of the plants producing the fiber. ''Ixtle'' is also the common name of a species of bromeliad, ''

Aechmea magdalenae ''Aechmea magdalenae'' is a flowering plant in the Bromeliaceae family. It is also known as ixtle. This species is native to Central America, southern Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador. The specific epithet ''magdalenae'' comes from the place it was ...

'', grown in southern Mexico for its silky fibers. Ixtle fiber is used as a substitute for animal bristles in the manufacture of

brushes A brush is a common tool with bristles, wire or other filaments. It generally consists of a handle or block to which filaments are affixed in either a parallel or perpendicular orientation, depending on the way the brush is to be gripped durin ...

, cords, and lariats. Wrapped with thread, parallel bundles of fiber were used as the boning in corsets.

Types

Particular kinds of Ixtle include: Agavaceae-lechugilla

*''Tula Ixtle'', produced from ''

'' or ''

Agave univittata ''Agave univittata'', the thorn-crested century plant or thorn-crested agave, is a plant species native to coastal areas of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, at elevations less than 100 m (300 feet). It has been widely named ''Agave lophant ...

''. The name is derived from the town of

Tula Tula may refer to: Geography Antarctica *Tula Mountains *Tula Point India *Tulā, a solar month in the traditional Indian calendar Iran * Tula, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province Italy * Tula, Sardinia, municipality (''comune'') in the pr ...

, also in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The fiber is also obtained from the inner leaves, and is long and almost white. *''Jaumave Ixtle'', produced from ''

Agave funkiana ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and the Caribbean, although some ''Agave'' species are also native to tropical areas of North America, such as Mexico. The genus is primarily known for ...

'' (

syn. The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

''A. lophantha''), is said to be the best grade. The name comes from the Jaumave Valley in the Mexican state of

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...

, where it is grown. The fiber is obtained from the young inner leaves that form the central bud. ''Jaumave Ixtle'' fibre is usually long, almost white, and almost as strong and flexible as

sisal Sisal (, ) (''Agave sisalana'') is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico, but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It yields a stiff fibre used in making rope and various other products. The term sisal ma ...

, produced from ''Agave sisaliana''. *''Palma Ixtle'', produced from the young leaves of species of ''

'', known as ''palmas'' in Spanish. The main species used is ''

Yucca carnerosana ''Yucca carnerosana'',McKelvey in Yuccas of the S.W. U.S. 1:24 1938 commonly known as the giant Spanish dagger, is a species of North American plant in the asparagus family. In the United States, it is confined to only a few counties in western ...

'' (syn. ''Samuela carnerosana''), although ''

Yucca treculeana ''Yucca treculeana'' Carrière is a plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Texas, New Mexico and Coahuila. Common names include Spanish dagger, Spanish bayonet and Don Quixote's lance. ''Yucca treculeana'' is a large, tree-like species up ...

'' is also used. The fiber is more difficult to extract from yuccas than from agaves, requiring the leaves to be steamed first for two to four hours. Individual fibers are long, yellow, and usually coarser and stiffer than sisal. The fiber is described as "somewhat gummy".

References

{{reflist, refs= {{Citation , last=Dewey , first=Lyster H. , year=1904 , editor-last=United States Department of Agriculture , contribution=Principal Commercial Plant Fibers , title=Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture 1903 , pages=387–398 , oclc=12121421 , url=http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43742493/PDF , accessdate=2013-10-23 {{GRIN , ''Agave lechuguilla'' , 5454 , accessdate = 2013-10-22 {{citation , last1=Stepp , first1=John R. , last2= Wyndham , first2=Felice S. , last3=Zarger , first3=Rebecca K., title=Ethnobiology and Biocultural Diversity: Proceedings of the Seventh International Congress of Ethnobiology , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0TPsGNj_Jy0C&pg=PA576 , date=2002, publisher=University of Georgia Press , isbn=978-0-8203-2349-7 , pages=576– {{Citation , title=Natural Cellulosic Leaf Fibres , publisher=TextileSchool.com , url=http://www.textileschool.com/articles/361/natural-cellulosic-leaf-fibres , accessdate=2013-10-23

External links

Fiber processingDescription with more pictures
Fiber plants