Monocotyledon

Asparagaceae

Agave -- The century genus

General Information
	Distribution	A large, complicated genus of about 250 species of the New World, extensively cultivated worldwide.
	Habit	Acaulescent or short-stemmed monocarpic perennials forming succulent rosettes of long-lived leaves, often suckering at the base, flowering once after 8-20 years.
	Leaves	Leaves large, lanceolate to ovate, margins ± spinose, apex with a long sharp spine.
	Flowers	Flowers perfect, in large, terminal, elongate, spicate to racemose or paniculate inflorescences with clusters of flowers subtended by bracts; tepals 6, greenish yellow, yellow, or orange, subequal, connate at base into a short or long tube, the lobes deltate, linear, or oblong; stamens 6, usually long-exserted, inserted near throat of perianth tube; ovary inferior, 3-celled, ovules numerous per cell; style awl-shaped; stigma capitate, 3-lobed.
	Fruit	Fruit a cylindrical, loculicidal capsule.
	Seeds	Seeds black, obovoid, flat.