Spermatophyta: Monocotyledonae: Asparagales

Agavaceae - Sisal family

Bailey, L.H. (1949) Manual of Cultivated Plants Revised edition. Macmillan, New York.

Chase, M.W., Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.J. (2009) A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161 132-136

Lock, J.M. (2008) Agavaceae Flora Zambesiaca 13(1)

Walters, S.M. et al. (eds) (1986) The European Garden Flora. Vol. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae, Angiospermae-Monocotyledons (Part I). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Description of the family

Monocarpic or perennial plants. Stems short or 0, sometimes trunk-like. Leaves large, borne in rosettes, often succulent, usually hard, leathery and spine-tipped. Inflorescence a large spike or panicle. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic; perianth segments 6, united for most of their length. Stamens 6. Ovary inferior, 3-locular. Fruit a capsule. Seeds numerous, flattened, black.

Worldwide: 13 genera and 210 species, tropical and warm zones, especially arid America.

Burundi: 1 genus and 2 taxa.

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Links to genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Agave L.	Description

Other sources of information about Agavaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Agavaceae
Flora of Botswana: cultivated Agavaceae
Flora of Malawi: Agavaceae
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Agavaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Agavaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Agavaceae
Flora of Zambia: Agavaceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Agavaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Agavaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Agavaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Agavaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Agavaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Agavaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Agavaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Agavaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Agavaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Agavaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Agavaceae
Wikipedia: Agavaceae
Plants of the World Online: Agavaceae
Tropicos: Agavaceae