Agave asperrima Jacobi

The plant is a thick rosette of thick, fleshy leaves. They are 45-65 cm long. There are spines along the edges. There is a long strong spine at the end of each leaf. At flowering a long flower stalk is produced in the centre of the leaves. This is 10-15 cm across and grows 4-7 m long. In the top one third of this stout stems grow. These are 0.5-1 m long and have an end that turns upwards with a cluster of yellow tube shaped flowers.

Sandy to gravelly, often calcareous places in desert scrub. Dry and rocky areas, in spineless scrubland (Larrea tridentata), natural 'nopalera' grassland (Opuntia sp.), xerophyllous scrub and Oak forests, at elevations from 747-2,400 metres.

The sap is used to produce 3 alcoholic drinks-pulque, mescal and tequila. Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer. The sap is collected and used as a drink. The flower stalk is baked in a pit oven. The sap is also fermented into an alcoholic drink. The sap is is boiled and thickened into a syrup.

Can be grown by seedlings.