Revisió del gènere Agave L. a Catalunya

Abstract

The genus Agave L. has about 200 species naturally distributed in the Neotropics. Most of the described species are, however, native to Mexico (ca. 75%), with many of these being endemic. Agave is a genus with a long tradition of uses, mainly alimentary, medicinal, and industrial (e.g. as a fiber plant). The most common agave in the Iberian Peninsula but also in Catalonia is A. americana, that was already introduced in the 16th century, and which is widely naturalized (at least since 18th century). Many other agaves were introduced subsequently to Catalonia (and other places of Europe), mostly during 19th and 20th centuries. Current floras and alien catalogues of Catalonia and the Iberian Peninsula only include a few Agave species, and the lack of taxonomical consensus point towards a need for a revision of the genus. Up to 12 taxa are catalogued in the present work, together with a dicotomical key and distribution maps for all of them. Some insights on the history of the introduction of the genus into Catalonia and the Iberian Peninsula are also provided.