Agave

Agave deserti Palm Canyon in south Palm Springs (California )

The agave ( Agave ) are a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily of the agave ( Agavoideae ) within the family of asparagus plants ( Asparagaceae ). The botanical name Agave is derived from the Greek word for agavos noble, glorious and exalted from. Agave, Agave often written, is the name of a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia in Greek mythology, which is sometimes referred to as eponymous.

Agaves are sometimes called the century plant (of English. "Century Plant" ), since they only bloom once and several decades passed until formation of an inflorescence.

3.1 Types
3.2 hybrids
3.3 Synonyms

5.1 fiber Supplier
5.2 Food and beverage

6.1 Literature
6.2 Notes and references
6.3 Original Descriptions from 2001

Description

Vegetative characteristics

Agave plants are xerophytic perennial or hapaxanthe and most succulent leaves rosette plants. They grow terrestrial or rarely epiphytic. The small to very large rosettes are stemless or its trunk is very short. The rare extended trunk is thick, single or branched and sometimes rhizomatös. From the rhizome is sometimes made daughter plants. The long-lived, more or less thick and fibrous leaves are mostly succulent and Xeromorph ( something soft and annuals in the subgenus Manfreda ). The leaf blade is linear to lanceolate to ovate. At the blade tip is a more or less strongly developed spine ( at the sub-genus Manfreda a soft Spitzchen ). The ganzrandigen leaf margins are tiny to heavily serrated or thread- supporting.

The strong and fibrous, occasionally spindlig thickened roots are spread out flat.

Inflorescences and flowers

The inflorescence can be up to 12 meters high. The partial inflorescences are zymös either have little short -stalked, and usually a few ( rarely paired ) flowers ( subgenus Littaea ) or long -stalked, often multiple composite, with numerous more or less densely placed flowers ( subgenus Agave ) or nearly sessile, paired to individual flowers ( subgenus Manfreda ). The inflorescence sometimes bears bulbils. The tube amps to bell-shaped perianth is usually yellow or greenish to brownish, more rarely reddish. The tepals are usually fused at the base and form a Perigonröhre whose length is very varied and the ends in different lengths Perigonzipfeln.

The stamens protrude from the Perigonröhre and have elongated, flexible dust bag. The thread- thin filaments are attached either in the tube to the tube opening or of the Tepalenbasis. The under constant, dreifächrige ovary is thick walled. The elongated, thread- thin stylus is Roehrig and not yet fully developed in flower opening. The warzendrüsige scar is three-lobed.

Fruit and seeds

The fruits are insulated draft tube, the tip often narrow elongated lokulizide capsules containing the flattened black seeds.

Cytology

The base chromosome number is x = 30

Dissemination

The distribution of agaves extends from the southern United States via Mexico throughout Central America ( including the Caribbean ) to Panama and extends into northern South America ( Colombia and Venezuela) into it. The greatest species diversity is found in the Mexican states of Hidalgo, Puebla and Oaxaca. Agaves are cultivated in tropical, subtropical and frost-free climates worldwide and are naturalized in the respective countries often.

System

The first description of the agave was published in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. Your type species is Agave americana.

The genus Agave sensu lato is divided into the following three sub- genres:

Agave
Littaea ( Tagl. ) Baker
Manfreda ( Salisb. ) Baker

In the subgenus Agave inflorescence consists of long-stemmed, often multi-compositional part inflorescences with numerous, more or less densely arranged flowers. In the subgenus Littaea the inflorescence is composed of more or less short -stalked part inflorescences usually with few ( rarely paired ) flowers together. The subgenus includes the formerly independent genera Manfreda Manfreda, Polianthes and Prochnyanthes.

The subgenera are divided into informal groups of species without taxonomic rank, which are at least partly considered as artificial:

Subgenus Littaea "Weak armored group " Group Striatae Baker
Group Serrulatae Baker (incl. Amolae Gentry )
Group Choritepalae Gentry
Group Filiferae Gentry
Group Parviflorae Gentry

Group Polycephalae Gentry
Group Marginatae Gentry
Group Urceolatae Gentry

" Large growing group " Group Agave (including Americanae Baker)
Group Salmianae A.Berger
Group Crenatae A.Berger
Group Campaniflorae Trel.
Group Umbelliflorae Trel.
Group Viviparae Trel. (including Sisalanae Trel. , Rigidae Trel. )

Group Applanattae Trel.
Group Deserticolae Trel.
Group Parryanae Gentry
Group Marmoratae A.Berger
Group Costaricicenses Trel.

Group Antillanae Trel.
Group Antillares Trel.
Group Bahamanae Trel.
Group Caribaeae Trel.
Group Inaguenses Trel.
Group Vicinae Thiede

Group Manfreda
Group Polianthes
Group Prochnyanthes

Species

The genus Agave includes the following types:

Subgenus Littaea

Agave albomarginata
Agave albopilosa [N 1]
Agave angustiarum
Agave arcedianoensis [ N 2]
Agave attenuata Agave attenuata subsp. attenuata
Agave attenuata subsp. dentata [N 3]

Agave filifera subsp. filifera
Agave filifera subsp. microceps
Agave filifera subsp. multifilifera
Agave filifera subsp. schidigera

Agave horrida subsp. horrida
Agave horrida subsp. perotensis

Agave mitis var mitis
Agave mitis var albidior

Agave nussaviorum subsp. deltoideae
Agave nussaviorum subsp. nussaviorum

Agave ocahui var ocahui
Agave ocahui var longifolia

Agave parviflora subsp. parviflora
Agave parviflora subsp. densiflora [N 10]
Agave parviflora subsp. flexiflora

Agave schottii var schottii
Agave schottii var treleasei

Agave striata subsp. falcata
Agave striata subsp. stricta

Agave toumeyana subsp. toumeyana
Agave toumeyana subsp. bella

Agave utahensis subsp. kaibabensis
Agave utahensis subsp. utahensis

Subgenus Agave

Agave acicularis
Agave acklinicola
Agave aktites
Agave albescens
Agave americana Agave americana subsp. americana Agave americana subsp. americana var expansa
Agave americana subsp. americana var oaxacensis

Agave antillarum antillarum var
Agave antillarum var grammontensis

Agave asperrima subsp. asperrima
Agave asperrima subsp. maderensis
Agave asperrima subsp. potosiensis
Agave asperrima subsp. zarcensis

Agave atrovirens var atrovirens
Agave atrovirens var mirabilis

Agave brittoniana subsp. brittoniana
Agave brittoniana subsp. brachypus
Agave brittoniana subsp. sancti - spirituensis

Agave cantala var cantala
Agave cantala var acuispina

Agave cerulata subsp. cerulata
Agave cerulata subsp. dentiens
Agave cerulata subsp. nelsonii
Agave cerulata subsp. subcerulata

Agave datylio var datylio
Agave datylio var vexans

Agave deserti subsp. deserti
Agave deserti subsp. pringlei
Agave deserti subsp. simplex

Agave inaequidens subsp. inaequidens
Agave inaequidens subsp. barrancensis

Agave mapisaga var mapisaga
Agave mapisaga var lisa

Agave papyrocarpa subsp. macrocarpa
Agave papyrocarpa subsp. papyrocarpa

Agave parryi var parryi
Agave parryi var couesii
Agave parryi var huachucensis
Agave parryi var truncata

Agave salmiana subsp. salmiana
Agave salmiana subsp. crassispina
Agave salmiana subsp. tehuacanensis [N 18]
Agave salmiana var ferox

Agave shawii subsp. shawii
Agave shawii subsp. goldmaniana

Agave shrevei subsp. shrevei
Agave shrevei subsp. magna
Agave shrevei subsp. matapensis

Agave sobria subsp. sobria
Agave sobria subsp. frailensis
Agave sobria subsp. Roseana

Agave vivipara var vivipara
Agave vivipara var deweyana
Agave vivipara var letonae
Agave vivipara var nivea
Agave vivipara var sargentii

Subgenus Manfreda

Agave gonzaloi [ N 23 ]
Agave palustris

Manfreda Group Agave brunnea
Agave bulbulifera [ N 24 ] [ N 25 ]
Agave chamelensis
Agave debilis
Agave fusca
Agave galvaniae [ N 26 ] [ N 27 ]
Agave gracillima
Agave guerrerensis
Guttata Agave
Agave hauniensis
Agave involuta
Agave jaliscana
Agave justosierrana [ N 28 ] [ N 25 ]
Agave longibracteata
Agave longiflora
Agave maculosa
Agave nanchititlensis
Agave paniculata [ N 29 ] [ N 25 ]
Agave parva [N 30] [ N 25 ]
Agave petskinil [ N 29 ] [ N 25 ]
Agave planifolia
Agave potosina
Agave pratensis
Agave pubescens
Agave revoluta
Agave scabra
Agave sileri
Agave singuliflora
Agave stictata
Agave umbrophila [ N 28 ] [ N 25 ]
Agave variegata
Agave verhoekiae [ N 28 ] [ N 25 ]
Agave virginica Agave virginica subsp. virginica
Agave virginica subsp. lata

Polianthes Group Agave apedicellata
Agave bicolor
Agave confertiflora
Agave dolichantha
Agave duplicatà Agave duplicatà subsp. duplicatà
Agave duplicatà subsp. clivicola
Agave duplicatà subsp. graminifolia
Agave duplicatà subsp. pueblensis [ N 31 ] [ N 25 ]

Prochnyanthes Group Agave bulliana

It is of no known association

Agave caymanensis [N 34 ]

Hybrids

Following hybrids have been described:

Agave × ajoensis [ N 35 ] Natural hybrids of Agave deserti var simplex and Agave schottii var schottii
Agave arizonica × Possible hybrid of Agave toumeyana subsp. bella and Agave chrysantha
Agave × blissii Garden hybrid of Agave and Agave duplicatà polianthes
Agave × bundrantii Garden hybrid of Agave and Agave polianthes howardii
Agave × cavanillesii [N 36 ] Hybrid of Agave and Agave decipiens fourcroydes
Agave × glomeruliflora Hybridogener origin with morphological transitions between Agave and Agave lechuguilla neomexicana and / or agave havardiana
Agave gracilipes × Natural hybrid of Agave and Agave lechuguilla neomexicana
Agave × güemensis [ N 37 ] Hybrid of Agave and Agave polyacantha walleriana
Agave × leopoldii Garden hybrid of Agave filifera and Agave filifera subsp. schidigera
Agave × neokewensis [ N 25 ] Hybrid of Agave and Agave duplicatà bulliana
Agave × peacockii Natural hybrids of Agave marmorata and Agave kerchovei
Agave × rossellonensis [ N 38 ] Hybrid of Agave walleriana var xalapensis and Agave polyacantha

Synonyms

Synonyms for genus Agave are Polianthes L. (1753 ), Pothos Adans. ( 1763), Tuberosa Heist. ex Fabr (1769, nom. illeg. ICBN article 52.1), Bonapartea Willd. (1814 ), Littaea Tagl. (1816 ), La Llave & Lex Bravoa (1824), Coetocapnia Link & Otto (1828), Robynsia Drap. (1841, noun rejiciendum ICBN article 56.1), Ghiesbreghtia Roezl (1861, nom. Inval. ICBN article 52.1), Manfreda Salisb. (1866 ), Allibertia Marion (1882 ), Prochnyanthes S.Watson (1887 ), Leichtlinia H.Ross (1893 ), Delpinoa H.Ross (1897 ), Pseudobravoa Rose ( 1899) and Runyonia Rose ( 1922).

Botanical history

In his description of the plants of the Botanical Garden of Uppsala Linnaeus separated in 1748 previously known as the American aloe plants of the genus Aloe and led from the botanical name Agave, but without describing individual species. In his scientific first description of the genus in Species Plantarum Linnaeus led to four types 1753: Agave americana, Agave vivipara, Agave Agave virginica and foetida (now Furcraea foetida ).

In the 8th edition of Philip Miller's The Gardener 's Dictionary 1768 four species were added: Agave tuberosa (now Furcraea tuberosa ), Agave karatto, Agave vera cruz (today Agave lurida ) and Agave rigida (possibly Agave fourcroydes ). In the following years other species by William Aiton, Adrian Hardy Haworth, Attilio Zuccagni, John Bellenden Ker Gawler -, Antonio José Cavanilles and Johann Friedrich Klotzsch have been described. Christian Julius Wilhelm differences and Wilhelm Friedrich Karwinsky (1780-1855) traveled to Mexico, collected plants there and sent them to Europe where they were cultivated, for example, in Italy and England. Karl Sigismund Kunth led in 1850 to a total of 49 species. Joseph Salm- Dyck Reifferscheidt took in 1834 and 1859 on the basis of his collection in Dusseldorf cultivated plants also a revision of the hitherto known species before and recognized 45 species. From 1864 to 1867, described the Prussian General George Albano of Jacobi ( 1805-1874 ), who was standing with Salm- Dyck in contact, in Hamburg's garden and flower paper based on cultivated in European gardens plants ( mostly seedlings ) 78 new species. Further descriptions were made by him from 1868 to 1870 in the papers of the Silesian Society for patriotic culture. Thus, the number of agave species described grew to about 160. Neither Salm- Dyck Jacobi still used for its descriptions features flowers, although the flowers of the agave were described in 1833 by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini. By Georg Engelmann and John Gilbert Baker made further revisions of the genus. In his summary of the genus Agave Baker realized in 1888 a total of 138 species.

1915 Alwin Berger published his monograph The agave and made the first attempt to classify the entire genus by taxonomic point of view. His descriptions before he took mainly based on plants grown in the garden located on the Italian Riviera La Mortola. William Trelease, who worked for the Missouri Botanical Garden, was the first botanist who studied the agave intensively in their natural habitats, especially in Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean. Because of these studies were carried out numerous other original descriptions. By 1924, a total of 310 species were known. Howard Scott Gentry undertook extensive field studies in North America and examined the deposited in herbaria material, the results of which he published in 1982. In it, he divided the agave based on flower characteristics in the two subgenera Agave ( Rispige flower) with 8 sections and 54 species and Littaea ( eared flowers) with 12 sections and 82 species.

Phylogenetic work the mid-1990s led in 1999 to collect the species Manfreda, Polianthes and Prochnyanthes as a subgenus in the genus Agave Manfreda.

Use

Fiber supplier

Agaves are among the main suppliers of plant fibers. Professionals acting among others, the sisal agave ( Agave sisalana ), Agave fourcroydes be (as referred henequen ), Agave and Agave vivipara var cantala grown letonae. Are harvested wild Agave lechuguilla ( Ixtle fibers), Agave funkiana ( Jamauve fibers) as well as occasionally Agave victoriae reginae -.

Food and Beverage

Even the natives of Mexico roasted or baked flower buds and agave leaves, which are characterized by their high content of sugar. Is agave nectar from the Cabeza or Piña, the remaining after knocking off the leaves tribe won.

Pulque, the national drink of Mexico, is produced by fermentation of the designated as Aguamiel Agavensaftes. Great economic importance for Mexico has tequila, which is made exclusively from the Blue Agave ( Agave tequilana ). A special form is the mezcal, for making it less stringent rules apply as for the tequila.

Evidence

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