Agave sisalana Perrine

• Region

  West Indies

• Country

  Bahamas

• State/Province

  Cat Island

• Locality

  Found roadside along the Deep South Turn Around.

• Coordinates

  24.155, -75.4103

• Georeferencing Method

  Corrected label coordinates. Verbatim coordinates invalid: 24 09 30 N, 75 24 62 W. Interpreted seconds as decimal minutes to match written locality. Consistent with pattern of typographic errors on similar labels by this collector.

• Distribution

  Map all specimens of this taxon

55,5
The Flora and Ethnobotany of Cat Island, Bahamas
Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium (MU)
I
Species	Agave sisalana	. Au: Perrine
Family	Agavaceae
Common Name Sisal
Description	Herb with a large basal rosette of leaves that are spine tipped.
Inflorescense about 3-4 meters tall. Flowers are white.
Location/Habitat Found roadside along the Deep South Turn Around, Disturbed roadside
scrub / low dry evergreen forest that is seasonally flooded by fresh water.
Latitude	24°09’ 30” N	Longitude 75°24’ 62” W
Uses/Comments The leaves are soaked in water and stripped of the mucilagenous pulp to
obtain the fibers. Fibers are then woven into plait for hats and other
handicrafts. Fibers also used for rope. Plant was once cultivated
extensively in Loyalist era.
Collector(s) Laurel R/Richey
Collection No 06-796 Duplicates 3 Date June 8,2000
Plants Dried Using a Kerosene Heater	?>
Vouchers for Laurel Richey's PhD Dissertation
02629536