On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Agave substitute for maple syrup the ethnic group in Ghana, see Agave people. Many plants in this genus may be considered perennial, because they require several to many years to mature and flower. Along with plants from the closely related genera Yucca, Hesperoyucca, and Hesperaloe, various Agave species are popular ornamental plants in hot, dry climates, as they require very little supplemental water to survive.

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, though some species are polycarpic. These suckers go on to form new plants after the original rosette desiccates and dies. The agave root system, consisting of a network of shallow rhizomes, allows the agave to efficiently capture moisture from rain, condensation, and dew.

Agave leaves store the plant’s water and are crucial to its continued existence. The genus Agave was erected by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, initially with four species. The first listed was Agave americana, now the type species. Agaves and close relatives have long presented significant taxonomic difficulty. In some of the older classifications, Agave was divided into two subgenera, Agave and Littaea, based on the form of the inflorescence. These two subgenera are probably not monophyletic. Hybrids between species in Agave subg.

Mangave when Manfreda was recognized as a separate genus. Some commonly grown species include Agave americana, A. A row of agaves in bloom in the Karoo region of South Africa: The inflorescences of the plants are clearly visible. One of the most familiar species is A. The name “century plant” refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. 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. Karoo, and arid highland regions of South Africa. 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. Mexico and is uncommon in its natural habitat. Unlike most species of agave, A.

It is also commonly grown as a garden plant. 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 agreed upon the classification of tequila and its categories. Batrachedra striolata, which has been recorded on A. Some species contain components in their juice which can cause dermatitis for some people. The ethnobotany of the agave was described by William H. 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.

The sap of some species can also be used as soap. Each agave plant produces several pounds of edible flowers 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, like sugarcane. The Hohokam of southern Arizona cultivated large areas of agave. The Navajo similarly found many uses for the agave plant.