Abelmoschus esculentus (L - the University of Maine at Fort Kent

Kermath, Bennett and Pulsipher - Food Plants in the Americs
NATURAL RANGE: Mexico
REFERENCES: Bailey Hortorium 1976, Facciola 1990, Gentry (H.) 1982,
Hernández Xolocotzi 1993, Nobel 1988, Nobel 1994, Sauer 1993,
Uphof 1968
Agave shawii Engelm.
FAMILY: Agavaceae (agave) or Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis)
ENGLISH: coastal agave, coastal century plant, Shaw’s agave
SPANISH: mescal, maguey primavera
USES/NOTES: Nectar, from this endangered species, is consumed
directly from flowers and stem pith is eaten roasted. Flowering
panicles are fed to animals.
NATURAL RANGE: Southern California and adjacent Baja California
REFERENCES: Bailey Hortorium 1976, Facciola 1990, ITIS n.d., Kunkel
1984
Agave sisalana Perrine
FAMILY: Agavaceae (agave) or Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis)
ENGLISH: hemp plant, sisal, sisal hemp
PORTUGUESE: sisal
SPANISH: fique, maguey, sisal, sisal tuxtlecs, yacci, yaxcí
USES/NOTES: Cultivated primarily for its durable, course fiber,
though new shoots are eaten and sap from the flower stalks is
fermented into pulque. Also medicinal.
NATURAL RANGE: Mexico, naturalized in warm regions
REFERENCES: Accorsi et al. n.d., Bailey Hortorium 1976, Brücher
1989, Facciola 1990, Kermath (notes), OAS 1973
Agave tequilana Weber [includes A. tequilana Weber var. azul nomen
illegit.]
FAMILY: Agavaceae (agave) or Amaryllidaceae (amaryllis)
ENGLISH: blue agave, tequila agave
PORTUGUESE: agave da tequila
SPANISH: cabuya, chino azul, maguey de tequila, maguey tequilero,
mexic, mezcal, mexcalmetl, pita, teometl
USES/NOTES: Leaf bases or heads, known in Spanish as cabezas or
piñas, from this agave are the only ones that can be used legally
to make tequila, a doubly distilled and aged, highly desirable
mescal. An extract from the plant has been popularized in recent
years to flavor beer and other beverages. Tequila production is
legally restricted to the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michohacán,
Tamaulipas, Nayarit, and Guanajuato. Commercial tequila
production depends legally on the cultivated variety A. tequilana
var. azul, though other varieties are used to make other mescals.
NATURAL RANGE: Mexico
REFERENCES: Chadwick 2003, Dalton 2005, Gentry (H.) 1982, Guia
Rural n.d., Gómez Arriola 2005, Gómez Arriola and López Morales
2006,, Kermath (notes), León 1987, Luna 1991, Nobel 1994, Sánchez
and Orellana 2004, Sánchez et al. 1998, Sauer 1993, Valanzuela-
Zapata and Nabhan 2004, Vega et al. 2001
DRAFT - DO NOT DUPLICATE OR DISTRIBUTE
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