242 



AMARYLLIDACEAE. 

 Agave 8pp. MAGUKY, LECHUOUIIXA, TAPEMETE, etc. 



By far the most important liber-producing plants are the numerous 

 species of agave. These have various common and local names. 



The maguey is a generic term applied to most of the agaves proper, 

 usually with some specific designation. Lechuguilla, meaning "cab- 

 bage-like," is applied to several of the smaller agaves and manfredas, 

 as well as to plants in other families. (PI. X LVII.) 



The quality of the agave fibers varies greatly in the different species, 

 being suitable in some for making the finest thread, while in others it 

 is used in making great ropes and cables. Not only are all kinds of 

 threads, strings, and ropes made from the various qualities of agave 

 fiber, but it is woven into many kinds of cloth, handbags, ore and 

 grain sacks, matting, etc., or made up into brushes for scouring, for 

 whitewashing, and for toilet purposes. 



In all the interior parts of the country the people obtain their supply 

 from their local species, each locality having one or more, or else they 

 bring the leaves from the neighboring mountains. 



Along our southern border, especially in the vicinity of El Paso, 

 Tex., Agave lechuguilla is very abundant, and from it a short coarse 

 fiber is obtained. This species has been confused with A. heleracantha, 

 from which, although the two are closely related, it appears to be dis- 

 tinct. Tt is not unlikely that A. lechuguilla may furnish a part of the 

 Tampico hemp of commerce. It is a rather small species, having only 

 20to,'?0 leaves. The leaves are about 2G cm. (10 inches) long and 25 mm. 

 (I inch) broad, green and not at all banded down the face. Our 

 herbarium seems to show at least four good species of the heteracantha 

 group, all from the general region from which the Tampico hemp is 

 produced. I should not hesitate to describe some of them as new if I 

 understood what is really the type of A. heteracantha Xuce. and A. 

 poselgerii Salm. I have the type of .1. lechuguilla and have seen the 

 description of A. heteracantha, but the latter answers to no specimens 

 we have. 



Mr. E. W. Nelson collected leaves, flowers, and fibers of two species 

 of agave in Jaumave Valley and near Matehuala, Tamaulipas, which he 

 states are the ixthi fiber plants of that region, and whose liber is sent 

 to Tampico for shipment. 



One of these is perhaps A. lophantha, but as only two "cogollos" 

 (bunches of young leaves) were collected the identification is uncertain. 

 Even in these young leaves the marginal spines are widely separated, 

 in some cases being 5 cm. apart and in this respect unlike the following 

 species. The leaves of both differ from those of the A. heteracantha 

 group in being narrowed at base. 



I have identified the other as Agave unimttata Haw. The leaves 

 almost exactly agree with specimens recently sent me from Kew, 



