agave is a genus of succulents indigenous to the Mesoamerican highlands, an area located in what is now central and western Mexico. Currently there are approximately two hundred species of agave recognized with approximately 75 percent of those found in the region stretching from southwestern United States, through Mexico, and into South America. The majority of the species are endemic to specific regions and habitats, having adapted to the arid environments in which they are most prevalent.
Naming
The names for agave in Mesoamerica are as numerous and diverse as the peoples who populate this region, but many are known only on a local or regional level. Although Spanish is the official language of Mexico, the Mexican government recognizes sixty-eight indigenous languages, which all have a word for agave. The Nahuatl word for agave, however, has stood the test of time perhaps due to its role in the provenance of the word mezcal, derived from the Nahuatl words for agave (metl) and oven-cooked (ixcalli). See mezcal.
Prior to their arrival in Mesoamerica, the Spanish first encountered agave in the Caribbean. There the indigenous Taíno of Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola) called agave maguey. See Caribbean. The Spanish introduced the word maguey in what is now central Mexico, and it remains the most commonly used word for the plant.
The name agave was bestowed on this genus by taxonomist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Agave derives from the Greek agauē, meaning noble or illustrious, a name truly suitable for this prolific plant.
Taxonomy and Characteristics
For many years agaves were a moving target in the taxonomy world, having been previously classified in the lily (Liliaceae) and amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae) families prior to temporarily receiving their own home as Agavaceae. In 2009 the third version of the modern plant-based taxonomy system, APG III, was published. In APG III the Agavaceae were incorporated into the larger family Asparagaceae, where Agave is one of eighteen genera in the subfamily Agavoideae. The confusion in regard to where and how the plant should be classified can quickly be understood when looking at the diversity of the genus. From the petite, variegated leaves of the cupreata to the upright palm tree characteristics of the karwinskii to the dark, curvy pencas of the marmorata, the differences between agave can seem greater than their similarities. There are, however, commonalities that hold this genus together.
Agaves are characterized by basal rosettes of thick pencas, or leaves, that are arranged in an overlapping pattern emitting from the central axis at the golden angle of 137.5°. Individual pencas are most commonly edged in spines before terminating at a sharp point. The alignment of the spines and the shape of the pencas, spines, and terminating points are used by farmers and botanists to distinguish varieties within a species.
Agaves are monocots, flowering plants whose seeds contain a single embryonic leaf. Each rosette will mature slowly, with some varieties taking upwards of thirty years to reach full maturity. Agaves are monocarpic, meaning that upon maturity each rosette will flower once and then die. A spectacular quiote, or flowering stalk, will flourish from the center of the rosette. The development of the quiote begins internally before there is external growth. Prior to the shooting of the inflorescence, the internal cluster of leaves at the center of the rosette will become thinner and narrower. The quiote will grow rapidly, up to 20 cm a day for some varieties, and can reach heights of 2–10 meters. The flowers of the agave vary in color from light green to yellow to red. Pollen and nectar are produced at night, with the flowers sometimes smelling like rotting fruit. For these reasons agaves are predominately pollinated by nocturnal animals, the most common being bats. Additional pollinators include hawkmoths, hummingbirds, songbirds, bees, and opossums. Depending on the variety of agave, the flowers will result in seedpods or bulbils, small bulbs that can result in a new plant.
Many types of agave can also reproduce asexually through cloning. The mother plant will send out rhizomes, or underground stems, from which offshoots will grow. Typically the mother plant will begin producing clones at the age of two or three and on average will produce three to four offshoots per year. The offshoots will be carefully removed when they reach 50–120 centimeters in height, stored for a period of time, then replanted in the fields.
Agave and Humankind
Agave and humans have had a symbiotic relationship for thousands of years in Mesoamerica. The Tehuacán-Cuicatlan Valley of Puebla hosts the area of the greatest diversity of agave species as well as a human history of 12,000–14,000 years. Archaeological remains of masticated agave fibers have been discovered on cave floors and in coprolites (fossilized human excrement) in the layers of earth associated with human habitation of this area some 10,000 years ago. For many reasons the use of agave as a food source is not surprising. The plant was prevalent, and one needed only heat and water to convert the starches to sugars for consumption. Once prepared, one could use what was needed and dry what remained into cakes to be consumed at a later time or to be traded with neighboring communities. Agave can still be used as a food source in times of poor harvests of standard seed crops or during turbulent years when access to other food sources is interrupted. However, its role as a food source is now an ancillary one. Standard seed crops are inter-planted with agave, utilizing the relatively shallow root systems of the agave to minimize erosion and water runoff. In return, the seed crops replenish nutrients in the soil that have been consumed by the agave.
aguamiel, or honey water, is medicinally beneficial as an anti-inflammatory and to treat digestive conditions.The dispersion of the varieties of agave within Mesoamerica and beyond accelerated after the arrival of the Spanish. As the Spanish spread throughout Mesoamerica, they would take indigenous laborers, interpreters, and farmers who would migrate with their favored type of agave. The Spanish and Portuguese, in turn, took agave overseas for ornamental and fiber purposes. Succulents became popular in public and private gardens throughout Europe in the nineteenth century, while colonial interests established agave fiber industries in the Philippines and Indonesia around the same time and in East Africa by the twentieth century. See Indonesia and Central and East Africa.
Today modern technologies have allowed for even more diverse uses of the plant. Agave is rich in sapogenins, a compound used in soap production but which also contains base molecules from which cortisone and sex hormones such as estrogen can be synthesized. Additionally, agave is rich with the prebiotic inulin. The pencas of the agave are high in fermentable sugars and therefore can be used in the production of industrial ethanol.
Agave Beverages
Beverages made from the agave plant come in many varieties. Fermented or distilled, they each have a long mythology and history as well as great social and economic impacts.
Pulque is an ancient fermented beverage made from the aguamiel of any of six varieties of agave, the most common being Agave salmiana. Prior to the Spanish arrival, Aztec nobles and priests consumed the beverage as part of religious ceremonies; its intoxicating effects were meant to bring drinkers closer to the gods. Upon their arrival the Spanish took a liking to this fermented beverage and introduced pulque agaves as they subsequently moved through Mesoamerica.
Distilled agave beverages have a long but somewhat clouded history. In the past the prevailing belief was that distillation technology was a gift from the Spanish. Currently, dissenting scholars debate about the origins of distillation in Mesoamerica. What is certain is that agave distillation has been a cottage industry in Mexico providing economic opportunity for hundreds of years. See distillation, history.
The Future of Agave
The abundance and utilitarian nature of agave resulted in its central role in the lives of Mesoamerican peoples. As a primary resource with myriad uses, the plant has been respected and protected for thousands of years. The years since 2010 have seen significant growth in the international interest in agave distillates, resulting in a significant increase in the production and sale of the agave spirits of Mexico. Financially, this has offered economic opportunities for individuals involved in all aspects of their production. Unfortunately it has also resulted in significant pressures on Mexico’s ecosystems.
Agave, genetic diversity is one of its most distinguishing features. In 1975 the Denomination of Origin of Tequila was created, mandating the use solely of Agave tequilana. As the category of Tequila grew, so did the need for more plants. In the course of expansion, differing species of agave were eradicated, thus reducing the biodiversity within the states of the DO. Additionally, producers ceased using reproduction through the inflorescence, which led to two adverse effects: in doing so they removed a primary food source for Leptonycteris bats, resulting in a dramatic shift in their migratory paths and thereby altering the ecosystem of central Mexico; and without sexual reproduction and cross-pollination, the genetic diversity of crops waned, weakening the plant and making it susceptible to disease.The Denomination of Origin of Mezcal was established in 1995. Although the DO is only a few decades old, the pressure to increase production, paired with a lack of respect for the lengthy lifecycle of the agave, has resulted in diminishing populations of multiple species.
The future of agave is dependent on all of us who consume it in its many forms. Respecting tradition and educating oneself about the products we purchase are the keys to ensuring the future of this noble plant and the livelihood of those who depend on it for survival.
Colunga-Garcia, Marín, Alfonso Larqué Saavedra, Luis E. Eguiarte, and Daniel Zizumbo-Villarreal, eds. En lo Ancestral Hay Futuro: Del Tequila, Los Mezcales y Otro Agaves. Mérida, Mexico: Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, 2007.
García-Mendoza, Abisaí. “Distribution of the genus Agave (Agavaceae) and its endemic species in Mexico.” Cactus and Succulent Journal 74 (2002): 177–187.
Gentry, Howard Scott. Agaves of Continental North America. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1982.
Valenzuela Zapata, Ana, and Gary Paul Nabhan. Tequila!: A Natural and Cultural History. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2004.
By: Misty Kalkofen