The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

Common name: Squid Agave, אגבת החפים, אגבת החפים

Family: Asparagaceae (Asparagus)

Distribution: Northern Mexico, Mountains of the Chihuahuan Desert

Habitat: Desert mountains, 900-1700 m

Life form: Fibrous succulent

Etymology: Agave means noble

In memory: of Nizza Yaffe-Ovadia, a teacher of nature and life.

Description: A short perennial succulent with elongated lanceolate leaves, 50-70 cm long, and 3 cm wide at the base. The rosette is urn-like, 30-50 cm across and 40-60 cmhigh. The Inflorescence is short, on a 1.2-1.8 m stem. The flowers are located on the upper third of the stem, resemble a bottle-brush. The flowers are creamy-yellow. This Agave is monocarpic, the plant grows as a leaf rossette for a few years without blooming. Only in its last year it blooms, bears fruit and dies. * In memory of Nizza Yaffe-Ovadia, a teacher of nature and life.*