The flowering of a plant of Mexican origin on the SD College campus here is attracting visitors to the institution in the past few days. The ornamental plant called Agave americana, also known as Century Plant or American Aloe, flowers only once and withers away after flowering.
The plant, belonging to ‘Agavaceae’ family, develops a massive flower cluster on a long flowering stem and grows to a height of more than 20 ft. The flowers are yellowish green in colour.
“The species produces seed but it mainly reproduces itself vegetatively via suckers that allows it to spread laterally and can form very large and dense colonies over time,” said P.R.Unnikrishna Pillai, faculty member of the botany department of the college. The plant is grown in the ‘naturescape’, a special area on the campus. Another plant flowered on the campus about five years ago.
Many uses
“The nectar from the flowers is used in Mexico and South America to prepare a fermented drink called Pulque. The nectar and seeds are consumed by some birds and animals. It is also used in many herbal medicinal preparations in Mexico. The fibre extracted from its leaves is used to make coarse cloth for a variety of purposes,” he said.
Agave is grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical regions in various parts of the world.
The plant has also been naturalised in India, Africa, and southern Europe, said G.Nagendra Prabhu, Principal Investigator at the Centre for Research on Aquatic Resources of the college.