Agave ocahui
Agave ocahui
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 ocahui is an evergreen, succulent plant developing a short trunk on which there is a rosette of leaves that can be 30 - 50cm tall and 50 - 100cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 25 - 70cm long and 15 - 25mm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a slender flowering stem that can be around 3 - 4.5 metres tall is produced, after which the rosette will die[ 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. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for loca use as a source of fibre. The plant is often grown as an ornamental for semi-arid regions[ 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. ] Agave ocahui grows on mountain tops (sky islands) which makes it vulnerable to climate change. Some signs of the impacts of climate change are already noticeable, such as the fires resulting from extended periods of droughts. It occurs in 10 locations based on threats including increased fires and cattle ranching and only a few collections are observed within protected areas. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' 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. ].