Agave angustifolia

Synonyms:

Agave angustifolia
Agave aboriginum
Agave angustifolia var. deweyana
Agave angustifolia var. letonae
Agave angustifolia var. marginata
Agave angustifolia var. nivea
Agave angustifolia var. rubescens
Agave angustifolia var. sargentii
Agave angustifolia var. variegata
Agave bergeri
Agave breedlovei
Agave costaricana
Agave cuspidata
Agave donnell-smithii
Agave elongata
Agave endlichiana
Agave erubescens
Agave excelsa
Agave flavovirens
Agave houlletii
Agave ixtli
Agave ixtlioides
Agave jacquiniana
Agave kirchneriana
Agave lespinassei
Agave lurida
Agave owenii
Agave pacifica
Agave panamana
Agave prainiana
Agave prolifera
Agave punctata
Agave rigida
Furcraea rigida
Agave rigida var. elongata
Agave rigida var. longifolia
Agave serrulata
Agave sicifolia
Agave sobolifera var. serrulata
Agave spectabilis
Agave theoxmuliana
Agave vivipara var. woodrowii
Agave wightii
Agave yaquiana
Agave yxtli 

Agave zapupe

Habitat:

Agave angustifolia is native to Mexico and Central America; today naturalized in South Africa, Australia, Mauritius, Reunion.

Description:

Agave angustifolia, a narrow-leaved succulent, probably is one the most wide-ranging species of the Asparagaceae family: in fact, it includes a huge range of varity. Stems may be very short or up to 20 – 90 cm long.  The rosettes spread radiately. The number of the leaves is variable, and their colour can be from green to yellowish green to bluish or white glaucous grey. Usually, the leaves ar narrow sword shaped (anyway, atypical broadened forms have been reported). Size and spacing between the small and curved teeths are variable. Leaves presents also terminal spines, which may be decurrent or non-decurrent, long and thin or very short and wide. The yellow flowers too may vary in size. In general, they are quickly passing, weak flowers. The sepals are drying reflexed along the tube. Suckering is very prevalent, but it hasn’t got an exact temporal collocation in the plant’s life.

Cultivation:

Their small size makes Agaves angustifolia greats for containers. As other Agaves, they need full sun or very high interior lighting; however, they’re not very resistent to drought, so they need watering when they get dry. Not so frost tolerant, when grown as houseplant it should never be exposed to tempeartures below 10°C. During growing season, it can be fertilized once, with a balanced fertilizer.

Propagation:

Basal suckers can be used as propagation material.

Curiosity:

Since Aztec times, Agave Angustifolia’s components have been used to became food and daily use objects. Ties and robes are obteined from the fibers, stems are used as posts and rafters; the teeths are turned into pins and needles. Different parts of this Agave are cooked as traditional food; extracted, fermented and distilled juice of cooked stems become an alcoholic beverage. Also traditional medicine is connected to Agave angustifolia: the juice of stems and leaves is used not only for teas and infusions, but also for swellings, arthritis, dysentery, liver and kidney diseases.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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