Agave inaequidens
Agave inaequidens
Safety & Hazards
The plant contains saponins and is used as a fish poison[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. ]. Many Agave species have strong, sharp spines on the leaves and leaf tips. In theory at least, the flowers, nectar, immature flowering stem and the centre of the rosette of all Agave species is edible and, with proper preparation, can provide a sweet, tasty foodstuff. Some species, however, contain relatively high levels of saponins (which makes them taste bitter) and some other compounds which can cause bellyache, and so these would only be eaten in times of desperation. In addition, many people may find these foods to be strongly laxative the first few times they eat them[ 1846 Title The Agaves of Baja California Publication Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences, No. 130, Author Gentry H.S. Publisher California Academy of Sciences; San Francisco Year 1978 ISBN 0068-5461 Description ].
Botanical Description
Agave inaequidens is an evergreen, short-stemmed, succulent plant forming an openly spreading rosette of leaves that can be 120cm tall and 150 - 350cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 75 - 150cm long and 11 - 21cm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a stout flowering stem that can be around 5 - 8 metres tall is produced, after which the rosette will die[ 1844 Title Agave Agavaceae Publication Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons, pp 21-311 Author Thiede J. Website https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56486-8_111 Publisher Springer Nature Year 2020 ISBN Description ]. This species is used for many purposes in Mexico - for food, medicines etc, but its dominant use is for the production of the distilled alcoholic drink mezcal, both for local uses as well as international markets[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ]. It is mainly harvested from the wild, though occasionally cultivated and wild populations are also managed[ 1844 Title Agave Agavaceae Publication Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons, pp 21-311 Author Thiede J. Website https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-56486-8_111 Publisher Springer Nature Year 2020 ISBN Description , 1845 Title Population Dynamics and Sustainable Management of Mescal Agaves in Central Mexico: Agave potatorum in the Tehuacán-C Publication Econ. Bot. 69(1): 26-41, 2015 Author Toees I. et al Website https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-014-9295-2. Publisher Year 2015 ISBN Description ]. Agave inaequidens has a relatively large range with large subpopulations. Despite heavy use, this species is not declining at a rate sufficient to qualify for a threat category. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2019)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].