Agave parviflora
Agave parviflora
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 parviflora is an evergreen, stemless, succulent plant forming a rosette of prickly leaves that can be 10 - 15cm tall and 15 - 20cm in diameter. The leaves on mature plants can each be 6 - 10cm long and 1cm wide near the base. After several years of growth, a flowering stem that can be around 100 - 180cm tall is produced, after which the rosette will die. However, the plant occasionally produces a number of young plants around its base that will develop as new plants[ 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 local use as a food. It is used as an ornamental and is commonly found in the horticultural trade, both plants and seeds are sold on the internet[ 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 parviflora has a wide range, is often locally abundant, and although there are threats in parts of its range, the overall population appears stable and also occurs in several protected areas. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' 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. ].