Agave sisalana
Agave sisalana
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 sisalana is an evergreen, short-stemmed (to 100cm), succulent plant forming a rosette of leaves that can be 150 - 200cm tall and 150 - 250cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 60 - 150cm long and 5 - 12cm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a flowering stem that can be around 5 - 6 metres tall is produced, after which the rosette will die. However, the plant usually produces a number of young plants around its base that will develop as new 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 ]. Sisal is commonly cultivated for its high quality fibre in many countries of the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate areas[ 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. ]. The main cultivation areas are in NE Brazil, Mexico, Kenya and Tanzania. It is also cultivated on a smaller scale in many other African countries, as well as in Venezuela and Ecuador, the Antilles, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra), India (Orissa), Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, New Caledonia and Italy. Experimental plantations have been made in Israel, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and further countries[ 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. ]. The annual world production was 305.000 t in 1994. Besides its use as fibre crop, the species is cultivated to make living fences as well as to give protection against soil erosion, and is harvested locally for use as a food and medicine.[ 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. ].