Asparagaceae
Agave

Agave sisalana Perrine

First published in Congr. Doc. 564: 87 (1838)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula). It is a succulent perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Rosettes to 2 m tall, with a short trunk
Morphology Leaves
Leaves 9–130 x 9–12 cm; margins minutely toothed when young, toothless in mature leaves; terminal spine 2–2.5 cm long, dark brown
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a 5–7 m tall panicle, producing bulbils after flowering
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 5–6.5 cm long, greenish-yellow; perianth-tube 15–18 mm long; tepals 17–18 mm long, equal, hooded at apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments 50–60 mm long.
Distribution
Occasionally cultivated, at least in S2 native in Mexico, widely cultivated for fibres elsewhere.
Vernacular
Sisal (English)
[FSOM]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular
SISAL
Morphology Leaves
Leaves at first somewhat glaucous, eventually green and rather glossy, linear-lanceolate, nearly flat, mostly up to ca. 1.5 m long and 10 cm broad near the base; apical spine dark brown, straight or slightly recurved, 2–2.5 cm long; marginal prickles often absent, when present slender and widely spaced
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence up to 6 m tall, the upper half loosely oblong-paniculate; flowers greenish or greenish-yellow with maroon speckles on the filaments and style; pedicels 5–10 mm long; ovary 20–25 mm long, shorter than the perianth
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth segments erect, 15–20 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsules rarely produced, oblong, ca. 60 mm long; seeds 7–10 mm.
Distribution
Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac. Originally from Yucatan.
Ecology
Often cultivated in the hot drier parts of tropical countries, and tending to persist after cultivation.
[Cayman]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images