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Agave americana L.
Sp. Pl. 1: 323. 1753 [1 May 1753]
Family: AGAVACEAE

Agave americana (Century Plant)
Agave americana (Century Plant)
With its dramatic powdery blue leaves it is undoubtably the most tolerant of all the Agaves which explains its wide distribution.

Synonyms:

See all synonyms of Agave americana
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Accepted name in llifle Database:
Agave americana L.
Sp. Pl. 1: 323. 1753 [1 May 1753]
Synonymy: 41 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Agave americana var. expansa (Jacobi) Gentry
Agave Fam. Sonora 80. 1972 USDA Agric. Handb. no. 399
Synonymy: 3 Accepted name in llifle Database:
Agave americana f. medio-picta alba

Accepted name in llifle Database:
Agave americana var. oaxacensis Gentry
Agaves Cont. N. Amer. 285 (1982).

Accepted name in llifle Database:
Agave americana subs. protamericana Gentry
Agaves Cont. N. Amer. 287 (1982).

Cultivars (1):
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Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Century plant, American aloe, Blue Agave, Spiked Aloe, Flowering Aloe, American Centaury, American Agave, American Century Plant, Century Plant
ARABIC ( لعربية ): أغاف أمريكي
ARAGONESE (Aragonés): Pita, Pino, Captus
ASTURIAN (Asturianu): Cactus
BASQUE (Euskara): Zurda, Agabe mexicar
CATALAN (Català): Pitera, Atzavara, Punyalera, Piterassa, Pitalassa, Pita americana, Maguei, Pita, Etsevara de tancas, Edzebara, Filiagulla, Fil y agulla, Figuerassa, Donarda, Atzavara de tanques, Atzabara, Atsavara, Atsabara, Arxavara, Arcebara, Agave, Adzabara, Adsevara
CHINESE (中文): 龙舌兰, 华严
DUTCH (Nederlands): Honderdjarige Aloë, Almindelig Agave
ESTONIAN (Eesti): Ameerika agaav
FINNISH (Suomi): Jättiagaave
FRENCH (Français): Agave Américain
GALICIAN (Galego): Piteira, Pita, Herba dos pelados
ITALIAN (Italiano): Agave Americana
JAPANESE (日本語): アオノリュウゼツラン
MAJORCAN: Platanera bord, Pitra, Pita, Etsevara, Donardera, Adzebara, Adzabara
PERSIAN (فارسی): خنجری, آگاوه امریکانا
POLISH ( Polski): Agawa Amerykańska
PORTUGUESE (Português): Piteira, Pita, Agave, Piteira-de-boi, Piteira-brava
ROMANIAN (Română): Agavă
RUSSIAN (Русский): Агава Американская
SICILIAN (Sicilianu): Centuspati
SPANISH (Español): Maguey, Pita, agave amarillo, Zabilla, Zábila, Sábila, Pitón, Pitera, Pitacón, Pitaco, Pitaca, Pita común, Javila, Metl, Figarasa, Donarda, Cimbara, Cardón, Cabuyá, Azabara, Atzavara, Atzahara, Arzabarón, Arzabara, Alzavara, Alzabara, Aloe americano, Aloe americana, Aloe, Alcimara, Azabarón, Slcimarón, Alcibarón, Alcibara, Agave, Acíbara, Maguey americano
SWEDISH (Svenska): Agave
TURKISH (Türkçe): Amerika sabırı
UKRAINIAN (Українська): Агава американська
VALENCIAN (Valencià): Pitera borda, Pitera, Pita, Atzavara

Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Agave americana group

  • Agave americana (Century Plant)Agave americana L.: Solitary or slowly clumping grey-blue rosette up to 4 m wide up to 150-200 cm tall. The leaves are often refexed above the middle. Cultivated worldwide with several different variety.
  • Agave americana f. aureo-marginata hort.: Variegated cultivar with yellow stripes along the margins of each leaf.
  • Agave americana var. expansa (Jacobi) Gentry: has a short trunk up to 60 cm tall with grey-glaucous cross zoned leaves.
  • Agave americana  'Mediopicta Alba'Agave americana f. medio-picta alba: Variegated cultivar with a broad white band down the centre of each leaf.
  • Agave americana var. oaxacensis Gentry: Has very large glaucous-white leaves with nearly straight margins. Leaves never reflexed. Cultivated form mainly in Oaxaca Valley.
  • Agave americana var. picta (Salm-Dyck) A.Terracc.: The name "picta" has been variously used to indicate a number of varieties, segregated largely on the basis of the yellow or whitish striations. This variegated forms are inconstant in their colour patterns.
  • Agave americana subs. protamericana Gentry: Regarded as the wild progenitor of the cultivated Agave americana differs in its greater variability in form, spination and colour of the leaves which generally are shorter, compact and wider.
  • Agave americana subs. protamericana cv. Blue Steel: has beautiful steel-blue, tight, upright, leaves with wider blade than some clones.
  • Agave americana var. striata Trel. in L.H.Bailey: Variegated cultivar with multiple yellow to white stripes along the leaves.
  • Agave cv. Cornelius: small monstrous and strongly variegated form with gorgeous wide creamy-yellow margins on blue-green undulating spidery foliage.

209 suleyman Abidin Süleyman Demir
The inflorescence of the Agave americana can reach epic proportions, soaring up to 8 m. Photo by: Abidin Süleyman Demir
19607 valentino Valentino Vallicelli
Photo taken at Cervia, Adriatic coast of Emilia Romagna, Italy. Photo by: Valentino Vallicelli

210 cactus-art Cactus Art
Agave americana Photo by: Cactus Art
27255 matteo Matteo Faggion
Agave americana Photo by: Matteo Faggion


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