Agave vera-cruz
Agave vera-cruz
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 vera-cruz is an evergreen, very short-stemmed, succulent plant forming a rosette of leaves that can be 120 - 180cm tall and 200 - 340cm in diameter. Around 60 - 80 leaves are produced on mature plants, these can each be 110 - 150cm long and 12 - 18cm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a flowering stem that can be 6 - 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 ]. The plant is harvested from the wild or cultivated for its fibre. It is occasionally harvested for food, mainly in times of need. The plant is sometimes grown as a living fence[ 1848 Title Characterization of Agave vera-cruz Mill Leaf Fiber for Textile Applications–An Exploratory Investigation Publication Journal of Natural Fibers, 9:4, 219-228, 2012 Author Kanimozhi M. & Vasugi N. Website http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15440478.2012.733526 Publisher Year 2012 ISBN 1544-0478 Description ]. After numerous expeditions to locate Agave lurida in its native habitat have failed, and due to its incredibly small range where it should be possible to locate, this species is considered to be Extinct in the Wild (GarcíaMendoza, 2004). There are only a few specimens left in ex-situ collections, which is a concern for the extinction of this species in the near future. The plant is classified as 'Extinct in Wild' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[ 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. ].