Agave americana L.

W.H.OAMP No* E-2344
Leaves markedly glaucous, to 2 long* Inflorescences 3-5 m. Ovary and
tube apple-green* Perianth lobes greenish-y ellow. Filaments and anthers pale
green* Plants used as fences. Also seen high on the cliffs along the Paute*
"Penco negro11*- called “negro” because the lvs are darker than #¿343 under
the glaucescence• The spines are sometimes removed, the leaf chopped, and
fed to animals* A primary source of fiber. Also, the base of the plant is
sometimes used to make wpulqueM which is drunk as a crude somewhat fermented
juice, or sometimes used as a juice in which other foods are prepared#
Giler says that the juice from the freshly cut lvs will produce lip sores,
especially if one is not used to it* The flower buds are also cooked and made
into a sort of "Pieles* que son mui sabrosos"*
03896393
The New York Botanical Garden
PLANTS OF ECUADOR
i ’
w. H. Camp,'No. E- 2344	26 Apr 45
!
Agave sp.
Plants propagating abundantly from basal
rhizomatous suckers. (See field note)*
Sheet 1 of 2 sheets*
Between rios Azogues and Gualaceo*
PROV. AZUAY: Valley of the rio Paute, between Paute and Cuenca; 7,200-
8,000 ft. elev. (Dry cliffs, rocky hillsides and occasional ravines.)
Distributed by the New York Botanical Garden
03896393