Asparagaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Agave maximiliana

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

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 maximiliana is an evergreen, stemless to short-stemmed, succulent plant forming a rosette of leaves that can be around 160cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 40 - 80cm long and 10 - 20cm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a flowering stem that can be around 5 - 8 metres tall is produced, after which the rosette will die. The plant is harvested from the wild and also partly managed as a source of food, medicine and for making the distilled beverage 'mezcal'[ 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 maximiliana is widespread, relatively common, and not declining rapidly. 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

Origintropical

Native RangeSouthern N. America - central and southern Mexico (Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Zacatecas)

HabitatFound in colonies on dry rocky slopes in tropical deciduous forests and in oak and pine forests on dry calcareous or igneous volcanic soils; at elevations from 930 - 2,380 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. , 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 ].