Agave sisalana Perrine

Spice Leaves

Family: AGAVACEAE

Genus: Agave

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): America

Uses and properties: Edible or foodstuffs. Furniture, construction and tools.

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Phanerophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Rocky coastlines. Garden plants. Gardens and naturalizated in beaches, in open plains, and in open rocky slopes at elevations from sea level to 460 m.

Characteristics: A plant that can develop a small trunk up to a meter in height. The leaves are sword shaped and are straight, rigid, upwardly directed and without marginal teeth (leaves 130 cm. in length by 12 cm. in width). The terminal spine is long (up to 2,5 cm.), conical, dark brown and not decurrent. The inflorescence is 5 to 6 m. in height with 10-15 ramifications on the upper part.

Observations: This is considered to be a sterile hybrid, strictly ornamental in origin.