Agave
The Agave is a plant that belongs to the family of Agavaceae.
Agaves are tropical and sub-tropical plants of the American continent, but thanks to their appreciated decorative characteristics, they have been spread in the Mediterranean area and it can be easily found on the coast. They have been imported from different part of the world and most of the species can’t be traced back to the originals, since they have changed characteristics according to the area they grew.
The Agave has a stout stem usually very short. It has a large rosette of thick fleshy leaves that can reach 2 meters of length and 30 cm of width, each ending generally in a sharp point and with a spiny margin. This plant’s lifespan can reach 30 years and it dies after generating a single yellowish flower.
The American agave is the most widespread species. There are different varieties which can be distinguish by the colour of its leaves. The “Agave attenuate” which can reach 1m of height and it has a somewhat round shape. The colour is bright green and it prefer a temperature of 15 C°. The “Agave ghiesbreghetii”, instead, green-brown colored during winter. The “Agave stricta” has a completely different structure, with extremely thin and long green leaves.
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Notes
Sandro Pignatti, Flora d'Italia, Bologna, Edagricole, 1982