Many plants in this genus may be consideredperennial, because they require several to many years to mature and flower.[5][page needed][6] However, mostAgave species are more accurately described asmonocarpic rosettes or multiannuals, since each individual rosetteflowers only once and then dies; a small number ofAgave species arepolycarpic.[5][page needed][6]
Along with plants from the closely related generaYucca,Hesperoyucca, andHesperaloe, variousAgave species are popularornamental plants in hot, dry climates, as they require very little supplemental water to survive.[6] MostAgave species grow very slowly.[5] SomeAgave species are known by the common name "century plant".[7]
Maguey is a Spanish word that refers to all of the large-leafed plants in the Asparagaceae family,[citation needed] including agaves and yuccas.Maguey flowers are eaten in many indigenous culinary traditions of Mesoamerica.
In other regions, it goes by different names. In China, it is referred to as thecompound wordDragon Tongue Orchid (Chinese:龍舌蘭 / 龙舌兰,romanized: Lóngshélán). In Japan and Korea, the same symbols are used as they are in Chinese—and thus the name is the same when translated—but the pronunciation is different, resulting inDragon Tongue Orchid (Japanese:龍舌蘭,romanized: Ryōzetsuran;Korean:龍舌蘭 / 용설란,romanized: Yongseollan).
In Malta, it is referred to asSabbara; In Maltese,Agave americana is referred to as "Sabbara tal-Amerika", andAgave sisalana is referred to as "Sabbara ta' Sisal".
The succulentleaves of mostAgave species have sharp marginal teeth, an extremely sharp terminalspine, and are very fibrous inside.[6] The stout stem is usually extremely short, which may make the plant appear as though it is stemless.
Agave rosettes are mostlymonocarpic, though some species arepolycarpic.[5]: 30 During flowering, a tall stem or "mast" ("quiote" in Mexico), which can grow to be 12 metres (40 feet) high,[8] andAgave salmiana can be significantly taller.[citation needed] Thepanicle grows apically from the center of the rosette and bears a large number of short, tubular flowers and sometimes vegetatively producedbulbils (a form of asexual reproduction). Afterpollination/fertilization and subsequent fruit development, in monocarpic species, the original rosette dies. However, throughout the lifetime of manyAgave species,rhizomatoussuckers develop above the roots at the base of the rosette.[5]: 30 These suckers go on to form new plants after the original rosettedesiccates and dies.[5][page needed] 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.[5][page needed] Some varieties can live for 60 years before flowering.[8]
The agave root system, consisting of a network of shallowrhizomes, 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. Thesap is acidic. Some agaves bloom at a height up to 9 m (30 ft) so that they are far out of reach to animals that might attack them. Smaller species, such asAgave lechuguilla, have smaller bloom stalks.
The genus nameAgave come from the Ancient Greekαγαυήagauê fromἀγαυόςagauós meaning "illustrious, noble"[10][11] having to do with very tallflower spikes found on its many species.[12]
The genusAgave was erected byCarl Linnaeus in 1753, initially with four species. The first listed wasAgave americana, now thetype species.[2] In theCronquist system and others,Agave was placed in the familyLiliaceae, butphylogenetic analyses ofDNA sequences later showed it did not belong there.[13] In theAPG II system,Agave was placed in the segregated family Agavaceae.[14] When this system was superseded by theAPG III system in 2009, the Agavaceae were subsumed into the expanded family Asparagaceae, andAgave was treated as one of 18 genera in the subfamily Agavoideae,[15] a position retained in theAPG IV system of 2016.[16] However, Agavaceae had regained its taxonomic status as an independent family by 2020.[17]
Agaves and close relatives have long presented significanttaxonomic difficulty. These difficulties could be due to the relatively young evolutionary age of the group (major diversification events of the group most likely occurred 8–10million years ago), ease of hybridization between species (and even genera),incomplete lineage sorting, and long generation times.[18] Within a species, morphological variations can be considerable, especially in cultivation; many named species may be variants of original wild-type species that horticulturalists bred to appear unique in cultivation.
With the advent ofDNA sequencing, newkaryologic and evolutionaryphylogenetic studies showed that the generaManfreda,Polianthes andProchnyanthes were genetically nested within the traditional circumscription ofAgave, rendering the genusparaphyletic.[19] Early in the 21st century, these new phylogenetic results led to a reclassification of to includeManfreda,Polianthes andProchnyanthes together asAgave subgenusManfreda.[19]
There was reaction against the changes from those who noted that the largemorphological differences between the genera in this newAgaves.l. making them "counter-intuitive from a horticultural point of view".[20]Manfreda morphologically differs from the classicAgave description in beingherbaceous andbulbous,[21] whilePolianthes aredeciduous with narrow leaves and no spines.[22] Mexican taxonomists have continued to adhere to the traditional classifications and have published new species ofPolianthes.[23]
Thus, based on a wider consideration of previously established genetic, morphological, and estimated genetic divergence times, Vázquez-García et al. proposed a narrower circumscription ofAgave by creating three new genera:Echinoagave,Paleoagave andParaagave.[24][22] These new genera have gained some acceptance,[a] and pave the way for a reconsideration ofManfreda,Polianthes andProchnyanthes.[24][22]
One of the most familiar species isA. americana, a native of tropical America. Common names include century plant,maguey (in Mexico), or American aloe (though not related to the genusAloe). 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 beinghardy to −9.5 to −6.5 °C or Zone 8b 15-20f.[30][31] Being succulents, they tend to rot if kept too wet. In areas such as America'sPacific Northwest, 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 theoffsets from the base of the stem.
A. americana (a blue variety) occurs in abundance in theKaroo, and arid highland regions ofSouth Africa. Introduced by the British settlers in 1820, the plant was originally cultivated and used as emergency feed for livestock.[32] Today, it is used mainly for the production of syrup and sugar.
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.[citation needed]
Agave azul (blue agave) is used in the production oftequila. It is native to the Caribbean as well as many regions of Mexico like Colima, Nayarit, Jalisco and more. In 2001, the Mexican government andEuropean Union agreed upon the classification of tequila and its categories. All 100% blue agave tequila must be made from theA. tequilana 'Weber's Blue' agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in the state of Jalisco. 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 foragave syrup, a nectary sweetener made for consumption.[citation needed]
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, 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, meaning "honey water").[35] The sap of some species can also be used as soap.[33]
Each agave plant produces several pounds ofedible 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 oraguamiel, likesugarcane. When dried out, the stalks can be used to makedidgeridoos. 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, andA. decipiens, the false sisal hemp.A. americana is the source of pita fiber, and is used as a fiber plant inMexico, theWest Indies, and southern Europe.
TheNavajo 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.[citation needed]
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 tosugar in cooking, and can be added tobreakfast cereals as a binding agent.[39]Extracts from agave leaves are under preliminary research for their potential use asfood additives.[40]
The sap ofA. americana and other species is used in Mexico andMesoamerica to producepulque, an alcoholic beverage. The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently fermented. By distillation, a spirit calledmezcal is prepared; one of the best-known forms of mezcal is tequila.A. tequilana orA. tequilana var.azul is used in the production of tequila.[5]A. angustifolia is widely used in the production of mezcal and pulque, though at least 10 otherAgave species are also known to be used for this.[5]
Agave can be used as the raw material for industrial production offructans as aprebioticdietary fiber.[40][41] Agave contains fructooligosaccharides, which are naturally occurring oligosaccharides that support safely subjecting peanut-allergic people to allergen immunotherapy.[42] Resulting from its naturalhabitat in stressful environments, agave is under preliminary research for its potential use ingermplasm conservation and inbiotechnology to better anticipate the economic effects of globalclimate change.[43] It may also have use as abioethanol orbioenergyfeedstock.[44][45]
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^Bogler, David J.; Pires, J. Chris & Francisco-Ortega, Javier (2006). "Phylogeny of Agavaceae based onndhF,rbcL, and ITS sequences: Implications of molecular data for classification".Aliso.22 (Monocots: Comparative Biology and Evolution):313–328.doi:10.5642/aliso.20062201.26.S2CID27472679.
^"An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II".Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.141 (4):399–436. 2003.doi:10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.t01-1-00158.x.S2CID7498637.
^Chase, Mark W.; Reveal, James L. & Fay, Michael F. (2009). "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, and Xanthorrhoeaceae".Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.161 (2):132–136.doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x.
^"An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV".Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.181 (1):1–20. 2016.doi:10.1111/boj.12385.
^Vázquez-García, J. Antonio; et al. (January 15, 2024)."New genera and new combinations in Agavaceae (Asparagales)"(PDF).Phytoneuron.2024 (2): 2.ISSN2153-733X.In recent treatments on the classification of Angiosperms, the Agavaceae has regained its taxonomic rank as an independent family (Judd et al. 2016; Thiede & Eggli 2020; Thiede 2020) under the statement that the broad sense of Asparagaceae is not useful to gain a better understanding of relationships between different clades due to its low support (Kim et al. 2010; Givnish et al. 2018).
^Heyduk, Karolina; McKain, Michael; Lalani, Falak & Leebens-Mack, James (2016). "Evolution of a CAM anatomy predates the origins of Crassulacean acid metabolism in the Agavoideae (Asparagaceae)".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.105:102–113.Bibcode:2016MolPE.105..102H.doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.08.018.PMID27591171.
^abThiede, Joachim (2001). "Agavaceae". In Eggli, Urs (ed.).Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons. Springer. p. 8.ISBN9783642625855.
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^Wilken-Robertson, M. (2004). Strategies for Sustainable Development of Natural and Cultural Resources in the Paipai Indian Community of Santa Catarina, Baja California.The US-Mexican Border Environment: Tribal Environmental Issues of the Border Region, (9), 71.
^Wilken, Michael A. (2012).An Ethnobotany of Baja California's Kumeyaay Indians. San Diego State University. pp. 29–37,60–65, 139.
^abLópez-Romero, Julio Cesar; Ayala-Zavala, Jesús Fernando; González-Aguilar, Gustavo Adolfo; Peña-Ramos, Etna Aida; González-Ríos, Humberto (2018). "Biological activities ofAgave by-products and their possible applications in food and pharmaceuticals".Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.98 (7):2461–2474.Bibcode:2018JSFA...98.2461L.doi:10.1002/jsfa.8738.ISSN0022-5142.PMID29023758.
^Tungland, Bryan (January 1, 2018), Tungland, Bryan (ed.), "Chapter 8 – Nondigestible Fructans as Prebiotics",Human Microbiota in Health and Disease, Academic Press, pp. 349–379,doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-814649-1.00008-9,ISBN9780128146491{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
^Tamayo-Ordóñez, M. C.; Ayil-Gutiérrez, B. A.; Tamayo-Ordóñez, Y. J.; Rodríguez-Zapata, L. C.; Monforte-González, M.; De la Cruz-Arguijo, E. A.; García-Castillo, M. J.; Sánchez-Teyer, L. F. (October 2, 2018). "Review and in silico analysis of fermentation, bioenergy, fiber, and biopolymer genes of biotechnological interest inAgave L. for genetic improvement and biocatalysis".Biotechnology Progress.34 (6):1314–1334.doi:10.1002/btpr.2689.ISSN8756-7938.PMID30009567.S2CID51629483.
^Yan, X.; Tan, D.K.Y.; Inderwildi, O.R.; Smith, J.A.C.; King, D.A. (2011). "Life cycle energy and greenhouse gas analysis for agave-derived bioethanol".Energy & Environmental Science.4 (9): 3110.Bibcode:2011EnEnS...4.3110Y.doi:10.1039/C1EE01107C.
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