March12_2010

Botanical Glossary - Home - References Cited

Agave Deserti - These Desert Agaves were part of a fine stand of flowering plants in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California in April 1995. Sometimes called the "century plant", in practice flowering occurs after 8 - 20 years. Although all the flowering plants will die, each group of plants at this site had plenty of offset non-flowering rosettes for other years. The leaves of the rosettes are armed with lethal stiff terminal spines, for which one rapidly acquires respect, and sharp marginal teeth. Desert Agave is one of the most drought-tolerant of the 136 species of Agave found in North America, and grows on stony terrain from southeastern California and southwestern Arizona to Baja California and northern Sonora. Many species of Agave are bat pollinated.

The starchy core of the plant was baked in rock-lined pits by desert-dwelling Indians to form a nutritious energy-rich staple food, and baked Agave can still be purchased in Mexican markets.

Tequila is an alcoholic drink made in the arid highlands of central Mexico, from fermented and distilled sap of the Agave (also called a maguey), an indigenous plant (a succulent, not a cactus). Archeologists say the Agave has been cultivated for at least 9,000 years. ‘Tequila wine’ was first made by the Conquistadors, who distilled a native drink called pulque into a stronger spirit. In the 400 years following the Conquest, tequila has become an icon of Mexican nationality, pride and culture, recognized worldwide. Today, most of it is made in Jalisco state around the town of Tequila.

Tequila is made from distilled sap from hearts (piñas) of the Agave or maguey (pr. 'mah-gay') plant. This plant is actually related to the lily and amaryllis (it has its own genus, Agave). It is known as a succulent and, although it shares a common habitat with many cacti, it is not one itself and has a different life cycle. A mature Agave has leaves 5-8 feet tall, and is 7-12 feet in diameter. It has a life span of 8-15 years, depending on species, growing conditions and climate. The name Agave comes from the Greek word for 'noble.'

There are 136 species of Agave in Mexico, of which the blue Agave - Agave tequilana weber azul - is the only one allowed for use in tequila production. Several different species of Agave are allowed for use in mezcal, including a rare wild species, tobala. Other Agave plants are used for the production of various regional drinks like sotol, raicilla, bacanora and pulque. Agave has been cultivated on this continent for at least 9,000 years.

Mezcal is a related drink and is the older form of the name for tequila as well. The name for the product made in Jalisco state was adopted in the late 19th century. Technically, all tequilas are mezcals, which were also known as mezcal wines and mezcal brandies before the name tequila became common. Today they are distinct products, differentiated by production process and taste, much the same way rye whisky and Scotch whiskey differ. Most mezcal is made in Oaxaca state today, although some is also made in Guerrero and other states.

It is still a practice of some Indians of the Southwest, to put crushed seeds of Sophora Secundiflora in their Mezcal to render it more intoxicating. The red been-like seeds of this shrubby legume became known at the time as mescal because of their use as an adulterant of the beverage mezcal.

Photos - One afternoon my hiking friend and I decided to go for a brisk walk up La Corona, a nearby San Agustin/San Sebastian hill that overlooks the Etla Valley. You can see the partial view here to the north of the hill, with large Agave plants in the foreground for frames left and right.

Photos - L-R - A brightly colored boulder on top of La Corona with two species of Xanthoria (Powdered Orange, Orange Wall Lichen) and the yellow Leaf Lichen similar to the Splash Lichen of the Pacific Northwest area - It is a coarse, leafy crust lichen growing in patches on bare rock and is a widespread lichen.

A slow moving and very trusting Papilio Rudkini (Desert Swallowtail) rests on a grass inflorescence on La Corona Hill. The Desert Swallowtail is usually about 2 3/4 inches wide (wingspan) black in overall color with yellow spots and the typical 'swallowtail' tails on the base of the hind wings. It has blue patches and an orange spot with pupil in from the tail on the hind wing margin. These butterflies are found year round in Southern Nevada and further south to Central Mexico, most common in early spring and fall in 2 broods following rainy periods.

Parmeliopsis Lichen which is similar in nature to the Pacific Northwest variety of Waxpaper Lichen (A medium sized, loosely appressed leaf lichen lobes narrow, pale blue-gray to pink-gray, on trees and wooden fences, occasionally rock in shaded areas)

Photos - Frames left and right: Small blossoms open on the top of Ferocactus Macrodiscus (Barrel Cactus) which is still a very young cactus that hasn't yet grown much past the ground level in upward height. They are found in southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico. The young specimens are columnar but as they grow older ribs form and they take on a barrel form. Most of the species are solitary but some, such as Ferocactus robustus and F. glaucescens, form clumps. The flowers are pink, yellow, red or purple depending on the species, and the petals sometimes have a stripe of a darker color. They are desert dwellers and can cope with some frost and intense heat. In cultivation they require full sun, little water, and good drainage. The propagation is usually from seeds.

Center frame: There is a dirt road that can be followed to the top of La Corona from the village of San Sebastian below. Not many folks visit the top of this hill, but the view is excellent - we are looking to the north along the eastern edge of Etla Valley, that's San Agustin to the left and San Sebastian at the bottom of the hill to the right.

Click here for more photos of San Agustin, Mexico for this day.