Agave mapisaga
Trel.
Maguey mapisaga
(c) Pedro Nájera Quezada, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pedro Nájera Quezada
(c) Pedro Nájera Quezada, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pedro Nájera Quezada
(c) Bill Wright, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bill Wright
What to Eat
Edible parts: Heart - drink, Leaves - flavouring, Flowers
The heart is used for fresh drinks and fermented drinks. The leaves are used for flavouring and the flowers are edible.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a subtropical plant. It is cultivated in central Mexico. It needs full sun and has good heat tolerance. It suits temperature zones 9b-10.
Central America, Mexico, North America,
How to Identify
A subtropical succulent in the Asparagaceae family with rows of narrow leaves bearing small spines, cultivated in central Mexico. It suits temperature zones 9b-10 and requires full sun and good heat tolerance.
Nutrition Score: 24/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heart of plant | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flowers | 9.1 | — | — | 11.06 | — | — | — | — |
How to Grow
Agave species are found mainly in the arid and semi-arid regions of southwestern N. America, especially in Mexico, extending from the warm temperate zone to the tropics often at moderate elevations. Many species can withstand at least a few degrees of frost, but only in drier regions and where soils are very well-drained. Agave species generally require a sunny position, succeeding in most soils of medium-fertility so long as they are very well-drained. Most species are undemanding as to the soil pH, though those found in the wild on limestone soils will grow better in neutral to alkaline conditions. Plants are generally very tolerant of dry conditions and of extended periods of drought. Most Agave species are monocarpic, individual rosettes living for a number of years without flowering before sending up an often very large flowering stem and then dying after flowering and setting seed. This species, however, produces a number of new rosettes from suckers or offsets during its lifespan and these new plants will continue to grow after the death of the parent plant. Individual plants take about 7 - 15 years in their native habitat, considerably longer in colder climates, before flowering. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in a container in a light position. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15 - 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position until they are at least 10cm tall before planting out. Offsets and suckers can be potted up at any time they are available. Bulbils, where produced, are an easy method of propagation. Simply pot them up and plant out at the beginning of a growing season when they are 10cm or more tall.
Other Uses
The epidermal layer of the inner leaves is peeled off and used as wrapping material. This report probably refers to the tough semi-transparent outer skin of the young leaves of the plant, which are used to wrap small parcels of food that are then baked or barbecued. This gives the food a unique flavour The dried flowering stem is used in construction as posts and to build fences.
Production
As the plant approaches flowering the leaves are cut off and the centre is harvested and crushed to produce a fermented drink.
Other Information
It is a cultivated plant.
Notes
There are about 250 Agave species. The Agavaceae are mostly in the tropics and subtropics.
Names & Synonyms
Maguey manso
References (10)
- L. H. Bailey, Stand. cycl. hort. 1:234. 1914
- Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 13
- Casas, A., et al, 2016, Evolutionary Ethnobotanical Studies of Incipient Domestication of Plants in Mesoamerica. In Lira, R., et al, (eds.) Ethnobotany of Mexico, Ethnobiology. Springer p 266
- Gentry, H. S. 1982. Agaves of continental North America. (Agave NAmer)
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 24
- Mapes, C. & Basurto, F., 2016, Biodiversity and Edible Plants of Mexico. Chapter 5 in R. Lira, et al. (eds.), Ethnobotany of Mexico, Ethnobiology, Springer. p 123
- Marinelli, J. (Ed), 2004, Plant. DK. p 330
- Piedra-Malagón, E. M. et al, 2022, Edible native plants of the Gulf of Mexico Province. Biodiversity Data Journal 10: e80565 p 12
- Wiersema, J. H. & Leon, B., 2013, World Economic Plants. A Standard Reference CRC Press. 2nd Ed. p 24
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
