A large, cosmopolitan family of monocotyledonous herbaceous plants comprising dozens of genera of exotic species widely cultivated for ornamental purposes, prized for their showy and often colourful spike-like inflorescences such as the succulent Agave, Dracaena, Furcraea, the caudiciform Beaucarnea, the imposing American Yucca, the indigenous Asparagus plants, including the well-known edible vegetable, the highly cultivated Hyacinthus (hyacinth), Muscari, Ophiopogon and Scilla..
| Agave americana L. |
| The genus Agave is derived from the Greek ἀγαυός agauόs = admirable, glorious, illustrious, noble: for the spectacular appearance of the flowering Agave. The specific American term indicates the continent of origin. Common name AgaveOriginA plant native to Mexico, it arrived in Europe thanks to the expedition of Christopher Columbus, but the first records of its flowering date back to 16th century Spain. After its introduction into the Mediterranean area, it spread spontaneously until it became an icon of the landscape. Description Plant consisting of a rosette of bluish-grey or greenish-grey leaves edged with yellow, which can be up to 2 metres long, thick, fleshy and flexible, with the edges armed with stout spines, arranged on both sides, curved and pointed. The leaf, covered with a translucent film, ends in a large apical thorn and has a white, juicy and very fibrous content. Like many monocotyledons, A.americana is monocarpic and therefore dies after flowering and fruiting. The inflorescence emerges from the heart of the leaf rosette and is similar to a gigantic asparagus, conical in shape; it can grow up to 5-6 metres in height and offer some thirty branches with showy clusters of yellow flowers with a greenish base. Contrary to common belief, the agave does not flower every 100 years. The inflorescence appears when the plant has accumulated sufficient energy resources, usually after 20-30 years, depending on climate and cultivation care. The fruiting that follows produces oblong capsules containing shiny black seeds when ripe. The agave never forms a trunk, at most a swollen foot, corresponding to the base of the old leaves. In Mexico it is cultivated for the production of Tequila, an alcoholic beverage, obtained by distillation. |