Angiosperms, Essay Example

The Blue Agave has a long history of use by humans.  It is “commonly – and mistakenly – called a cactus, but it is really a succulent that belongs to the lily family.” (Chadwick) It has thick fleshy leaves that grow from a central stalk in a rosette pattern.  They are true angiosperms and each plant consists of both male and female parts.  The flower grows from a thick stalk called a quiote.  The Blue Agave takes about 5 to 6 years to mature enough to produce the bloom stalk.

The agave is a succulent, though not a cactus. The blue agave has many unique adaptations that make it able to thrive in hot desert environments.  Its thick leaves are covered in a thick layer of cellulose that prevents dehydration.  Each leaf has marginal spines and terminates in a sharply pointed spine. These adaptations help the agave to store water.  Water is stored in the plants leaves, stem and roots. The leaves are designed to funnel water from rainstorms.  The sharply pointed end points up and each leaf is funneled in order to allow water to be channeled to the central stem, where it is quickly absorbed by the plant and stored for later.

The blue agave reproduces in two ways.  In the wild the agave is pollinated by bats.  Most agave that is cultivated today are clones, or pups that grow off of each plant.  Agave’s naturally produce a new plant through an offshoot at the base through stolons.  Each plant normally maintains a clump of new plants at its base to compensate for only flowering once a year or less.  Commercially grown agave’s are normally composed of just the offshoots, resulting in monoculture of that are more susceptible to disease.

Agave’s were traditionally used by the native Americans for a variety of purposes.  They would harvest the nectar from the stalk and make a beverage called pulque, the predecessor of the modern day tequila which is made from the same nectar.  The agave also has thick fibers in its leaves which can be used like hemp for making clothing, rope, and other items.  Today, agave nectar is also harvested and sold commercially as a healthy substitute for sugar.  There is some controversy on agave nectar’s health benefits, though it is still suggested as a better substitute for those with diabetes.

References

Chadwick, Ian. (2008) Growing the blue agave. In Search of the Blue Agave Tequila and the Heart of Mexico Web. Retrieved 29 May, 2010 from             http://www.ianchadwick.com/tequila/agave_growing.htm

Dimmit, Mark A. (2010) Plant ecology of the sonoran desert region. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Web. Retrieved 29 May, 2010 from http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_plant_ecology.php

Group, Dr. Edward (2009) Is agave nectar safe? Global Healing Center Web. Retrieved 29 May, 2010 from http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/is-agave-nectar-safe/

Hodgkiss, R.J. (2010) The agave page. The Succulent Plant Page Web. Retrieved 29 May, 2010 from http://www.succulent-plant.com/families/agavaceae.html

Mohr, Gary M. Jr. (1999) Blue agave and its importance in the tequila industry. Ethnobotanical Leaflets Web. Retrieved 29 May, 2010 from http://www.ethnoleaflets.com/leaflets/agave.htm