''Agave palmeri'' (also known as Palmer's century plant) is an especially large member of the genus ''

Agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...

'', in the family

Asparagaceae Asparagaceae (), known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, '' Asparagus officinalis''. This family includes both ...

Description

''Agave palmeri'' is the largest ''

'' species growing in the United States. It produces a basal leaf

rosette Rosette is the French diminutive of ''rose''. It may refer to: Flower shaped designs * Rosette (award), a mark awarded by an organisation * Rosette (design), a small flower design *hence, various flower-shaped or rotational symmetric forms: ** R ...

of fleshy, upright green leaves of up to in length, with jagged edges and ending in sharp, thick spines of long. The buds are purplish. Blooming from June to August, the flowers are pale yellow and green; they are long with six segments and

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s, growing on branches from the upper third of the

flower spike In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a main axis ( ped ...

, which can be up to tall.Gentry, Howard Scott. Agaves of Continental North America. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1992.

Distribution and habitat

The plant is native to southern

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, southwestern

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

and Chihuahua. It can be found in dry, rocky areas.

Cultivation

The plant is frequently cultivated as an

ornamental Ornamental may refer to: *Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration *Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work *Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qua ...

in other regions. It requires a large pot but is very tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including temperatures of around −10 °C.Complete Encyclopedia of Succulents by Zdenek Jezek and Libor Kunte

Uses

The plant was used by Native Americans for food, drink, fiber, soap, medicine and to make lances.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q391834 palmeri Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Flora of Arizona Flora of Chihuahua (state) Flora of New Mexico Flora of Sonora Plants described in 1875 Taxa named by George Engelmann Garden plants of North America Drought-tolerant plants