Agave jaiboli
Agave jaiboli
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 jaiboli is an evergreen, stemless, succulent plant forming an open rosette of leaves that can be 60 - 100cm tall and 140 - 200cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 60 - 100cm long and 8 - 12cm wide near the middle. After several years of growth, a flowering stem that can be around 6 - 8 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 highly esteemed locally as a food source and is often harvested from the wild for use as a food and to make the drink 'mezcal'. The food qualities of this species appear to merit detailed investigation as a potential resource[ 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. ]. Agave jaiboli has a relatively small range and extent of occurrence. It occurs in 6 to 10 locations where it experiences a continuing decline in number of mature individuals as a consequence of over-exploitation for mescal production and decline in the quality of its habitat due to ranching. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' 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. ].