Asparagaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Agave palmeri

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

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 palmeri is an evergreen, stemless, succulent plant forming a rather open rosette of leaves that can be 50 - 120cm tall and 100 - 120cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 35 - 75cm long and 7 - 10cm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a flowering stem that can be around 3 - 6.5 metres tall is produced, after which the rosette will die. However, the plant occasionally produces a number of young plants around its base that will develop as new plants[ 1842 Title The Agave Family in Sonora; Agriculture Handbook No. 399 Publication Author Gentry H.S. Publisher Agicultural Research Service, USDA; Washington D.C. Year 1972 ISBN Description Gives quite a lot of information on the traditional uses of the plants. , 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 ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and to make the distilled drink 'mezcal', and also as a source of fibre. Agave palmeri is widely distributed, it is often abundant where found and although it faces multiple threats, declines are localised within the larger range. 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. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeSouthwestern N. America - SE. Arizona to SW. New Mexico to northern Mexico (Sonora, NW. Chihuahua).

HabitatSandy to rocky or gravelly slopes and in grassland, oak savannah, and pine dominated communities, also along disturbed habitats near highways; at elevations from 900 - 2,200 metres[ 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. ].