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Agave (view source)

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{{Taxobox
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
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| color = lightgreen
   
| name = ''Agave''
 
| name = ''Agave''
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| common_names = Agave
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| growth_habit = herbaceous
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| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| poisonous = some have juice causing acute rash
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| lifespan = perennial
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| exposure = full sun, part-shade{{SSN}}
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| water = usually moderate to little{{SSN}}
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| sunset_zones = vary by species
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| color = IndianRed
 
| image = Agave americana a-m.jpg
 
| image = Agave americana a-m.jpg
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| image_width = 250px
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| image_width = 240px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
 
| image_caption = [[Agave_americana|''Agave americana'' (Century Plant)]]
 
| image_caption = [[Agave_americana|''Agave americana'' (Century Plant)]]
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| regnum = Plantae
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
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| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
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| classis = Liliopsida
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| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
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| ordo = Asparagales
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| familia = [[Agavaceae]]
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| familia = Agavaceae
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| genus = '''''Agave'''''
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| genus = Agave
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| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
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| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
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| subdivision =
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see text. See also [[List_of_Agave_species|full listing]].
   
}}
 
}}
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{{Inc|
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[[Image:Agave_chiapensis_whole.jpg|thumb|right|200px|the large flower spike of ''[[Agave_chiapensis|Agave chiapensis]]'']]
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AGAVE (Greek, agauos, admirable). Amaryttidacese. Important decorative and economic plants from hot American deserts, the most familiar of which is A. americana, the Century Plant, or American Aloe.
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'''Agaves''' are [[succulent plant|succulent]] [[plant]]s of a large [[botanical]] [[genus]] of the same name, belonging to the family [[Agavaceae]]. Chiefly [[Mexico|Mexican]], they occur also in the southern and western [[United States]] and in central and tropical [[South America]].  The plants have a large [[Rosette (botany)|rosette]] of thick fleshy [[leaf|leaves]] generally ending in a sharp point and with a spiny margin; the stout [[Plant stem|stem]] is usually short, the leaves apparently springing from the [[root]]. Along with plants from the related genus ''[[Yucca]]'', various ''Agave'' species are popular [[ornamental plant]]s.  
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Stem short or wanting: Ivs. mostly in a close rosette, usually stiff and more or less fleshy, persisting from year to year, the margins mostly armed with teeth and the apex tipped with a usually pungent spine: us. in spikes (Littsea) or panicles (Euagave); perianth 6-parted, more or less funnel-ehaped; stamens 6. mostly long- exserted; style 1; stigma capitately 3-lobed; ovary inferior, 3-celled; seeds numerous, flat, thin, black.—Some species flower but once and die, others occasionally, while others flower from year to year. The number of species is fully 300, and more than 325 have been described, largely from the Mexican tableland, although each island of the W. Indies possesses its peculiar species. One of the largest collections is at Kew, where there are 85 named species. The largest collections in the U. S. are at the Botanical Garden of Washington and the Missouri Botanical Garden, where there are about 75 species each. Amateurs often cult, a greater number of species than are described in this account.
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Each rosette is [[monocarpic]] and grows slowly to [[flower]] only once. During flowering a tall stem or "mast" grows from the center of the leaf rosette and bears a large number of shortly tubular flowers. After development of [[fruit]] the original plant [[death|dies]], but [[Basal shoot|sucker]]s are frequently produced from the base of the stem which become new plants.
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It is a common misconception that '''Agaves''' are a [[cactus]]. This plant is actually related to the [[lily]] and [[amaryllis]] [[Family (biology)|families]] and as such has its own genus.  
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''Agave'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including ''[[Batrachedra|Batrachedra striolata]]'', which has been recorded on ''A shawii''.
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Agaves are essentially fanciers' or amateurs' plants. This noble group of plants has never received the attention it deserves, and yet no genus of plants in America furnishes so many suitable decorative plants. Sir Joseph Hooker places it next to the palm and aloe, but the former is a great family of 1,100 species. While in the United States one thinks of the agaves only as decorative plants, yet in Mexico, then- native home, they are the most useful of plants. Many species furnish fiber, others soap, while still others produce the two great Mexican drinks, pulque and mescal. Pulque, which is a fermented drink, is derived from several species, especially A. atrovi- rcns. Mescal, which is a distilled drink, is usually not obtained from the same species as pulque, although there is a general belief to the contrary. The species from which is made most of the mescal used in Mexico is unknown.—The species vary so much in size and form that they can be used in a great many ways. Some of the smaller species are suitable for the house, and even some of the larger species are so used. The larger species are well adapted for vases in large gardens and grounds, along walks, terraces, and the like. These plants, coming, as they do, from arid or even desert regions, where they have a hard struggle to exist, can be grown with little or no care, but they respond very quickly to good treatment. —The species are propagated in various ways; some produce suckers at the base, or even underground shoots; others give off buds from the stem, which fall off and take root, or may be detached and planted; while not a few produce bulblets in the flower-clusters, and sometimes in great abundance. Nearly all may be produced from seed, but as most of the species flower only after a long interval, and many have not yet been known to flower in cultivation, this latter means of propagation cannot be relied upon. In cultivation, fruit is set very sparingly or not at all without artificial pollination, although this can be accomplished with very little trouble.
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==Commonly grown species==
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The agaves are not at all difficult to grow. The soil should be principally loam and sand, and if any vegetable soil be given it should be in small quantities. Good drainage and firm potting are necessary. To grow small plante of the large-leaved kinds into good-sized specimens quickly, they should be plunged out in a sunny spot m spring, taking care that the pots are large enough so that they will not require repotting in the fall. Nearly all of the large-growing kinds are easily increased from suckers, which, when the plants are grown in a pot-bound condition, are produced very readily. They should be taken off from the parent plant only when furnished with sufficient roots to give thorn a start. Some kinds are raised only from seeds, which, when freshly gathered, germinate in a few weeks.
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The most commonly grown species include ''[[Agave americana]]'', ''[[Agave angustifolia]]'', ''[[Blue agave]]'' (Agave tequilana) and ''[[Agave attenuata]]''.
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{{SCH}}
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}}
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===''Agave americana''===
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==Cultivation==
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{{main|Agave americana}}
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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One of the most familiar species is ''[[Agave americana]]'', a native of tropical America.  Common names include Century Plant, Maguey (in Mexico), or American Aloe (it is not, however, closely related to the genus ''[[Aloe]]''). The name "Century Plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower, although the number of years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual, the richness of the soil and the climate; during these years the plant is storing in its fleshy leaves the nourishment required for the effort of flowering.
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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''Agave americana'', century plant, was introduced into Europe about the middle of the 16th century and is now widely cultivated for its handsome appearance; in the variegated forms the leaf has a white or yellow marginal or central stripe from base to apex. As the leaves unfold from the center of the rosette the impression of the marginal spines is very conspicuous on the still erect younger leaves. The tequ plants are usually grown in tubs and put out in the summer months, but in the winter require protection from frost. They mature very slowly and die after flowering, but are easily propagated by the offsets from the base of the stem.
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===''Agave attenuata''===
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==Species==
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{{main|Agave attenuata}}
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There are many species of Agave, see the [[List of Agave species|List of ''Agave'' species]].
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''A. attenuata'' is a native of central Mexico and is uncommon in its natural habitat. Unlike most species of ''Agave'', ''A. attenuata'' has a curved flower spike from which it derives one of its numerous common names - the foxtail agave.
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''A. attenuata'' is also commonly grown as a garden plant. Unlike many agaves, ''A. attenuata'' has no teeth or terminal spines making it an ideal plant for areas adjacent to footpaths. Like all agaves, ''A. attenuata'' is a succulent and requires little water or maintenance once established .
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==Uses==
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[[Image:Agave_chiapensis_whole.jpg|thumb|right|200px|the large flower sp
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ike of ''[[Agave_chiapensis|Agave chiapensis]]'']]
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Four major parts of the agave are edible: the flowers, the leaves, the stalks or basal rosettes, and the sap.(Davidson 1999)
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*Each agave plant will produce several pounds of [[edible flowers]] during the summer.
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*The leaves may be collected in winter and spring, when the plants are rich in sap, for eating.
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*The stalks, which are ready during the summer, before the blossom, weigh several pounds each. Roasted, they are sweet, like molasses.
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*During the development of the inflorescence there is a rush of sap to the base of the young flower stalk. In the case of ''A. americana'' and other species, this is used by the Mexicans to make their national beverage, [[pulque]].
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*The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently fermented. By distillation, a spirit called [[mezcal]] is prepared; one of the most well-known forms of mezcal is [[tequila]]. In [[2001]] the Mexican Government and [[European Union]] agreed the classification of tequila and its categories. 100% Blue Agave Tequila must be made from the Weber Blue Agave plant, to rigorous specifications and only in certain Mexican states.
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*The leaves of several species yield fiber: for instance, ''Agave rigida var. sisalana'', [[Sisal]] hemp, ''Agave decipiens'', False Sisal Hemp. ''Agave americana'' is the source of pita fiber and is used as a fiber plant in Mexico, the [[West Indies]] and southern [[Europe]].
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*When dried and cut in slices, the flowering stem forms natural [[razor strop]]s, and the expressed juice of the leaves will lather in water like soap.
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*The Natives of Mexico used the agave to make pens, nails and needles, as well as string to sew and make weavings. In [[India]] the plant is extensively used for hedges along railroads.
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*[[Agave syrup]] (also called agave nectar) is used as an alternative to [[sugar]] in cooking.
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==Ethnomedical Uses==
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*Leaf [[tea]] or [[tincture]] taken orally is used to treat [[constipation]] and excess gas.  It is also used as a [[diuretic]].  
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*Root tea or [[tincture]] is taken orally to treat [[arthritic]] joints.
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==Gallery==
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==Warnings==
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*The juice from many species of agave can cause acute contact [[dermatitis]].  It will produce reddening and blistering lasting one to two weeks.  Episodes of itching may recur up to a year thereafter, even though there is no longer a visible rash.  Irritation is, in part, caused by [[calcium oxalate]] [[raphides]].  Dried parts of the plants can be handled with bare hands with little or no effect.
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==Taxonomy==
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Agaves were once classified in [[Liliaceae]], but most references now include them in their own family, [[Agavaceae]].
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Agaves have long presented special difficulties for [[alpha taxonomy|taxonomy]]; variations within a species may be considerable, and a number of named species are of unknown origin and may just be variants of original wild species.
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Spanish and Portuguese explorers probably brought agave plants back to Europe with them, but the plants became popular in Europe during the 19th century when many types were imported by collectors. Some have been continuously propagated by offset since then, and do not consistently resemble any species known in the wild, although this may simply be due to the differences in growing conditions in Europe.
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==Images of ''Agave'' species or cultivars==
   
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Image:Agave_americana4.jpg|''[[Agave americana]]'' var. 'americana'
 
Image:Agave_americana4.jpg|''[[Agave americana]]'' var. 'americana'
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</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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==Species==
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==References==
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There are many species of Agave, see the [[List_of_Agave_species|List of ''Agave'' species]].
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
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==References==
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==External links==
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* [[Howard Scott Gentry]], ''Agaves of Continental North America'' (University of Arizona Press,  1982), the standard work, with accounts of 136 species
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*{{wplink}}
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* [http://www.ipni.org/index.html IPNI : The International Plant Name Index]
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* [http://wildflower.utexas.edu/plants/search.php?search_field=agave&newsearch=true&family= Native Plant Information Network] More information on species in the ''Agave'' genus
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*{{cite book
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  | last = Davidson
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  | first = Alan
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  | authorlink = Alan Davidson (food writer)
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  | coauthors =
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  | title = The Oxford Companion to Food
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  | publisher = Oxford University press
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  | date = 1999
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  | location = Oxford
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  | pages = xx + 892
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  | url =
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  | doi =
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  | id =  ISBN 0-19-211579-0}}
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Categorize]]
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[[Category:Agavaceae]]
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<!--  in order to add all the proper categories, go to http://www.plants.am/wiki/Plant_Categories and copy/paste the contents of the page here, and then follow the easy instructions!    -->
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[[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]
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[[Category:Dermatology]]
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[[Category:Poisonous_plants]]
 
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