Agave americana L., Agavaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: maguey

English: American aloe, century plant, malina

French: choca

Spanish: cubuya negra, penco

Habit:  succulent

Description: 

Genus: "Large rosette-plants; leaves thick, rigid, spine-tipped, sword-shaped, up to 180 cm long or more.  Inflorescence a tall terminal scape, as much as 12 m tall, with numerous flowers; flowers regular."  (Stone, 1970; p 130)

Species:  "Stemless.  Leaves to 2 m. long, 15-20 cm wide; margins stoutly spinose. Flowering scape to 12 m tall, bearing yellow flowers; stamens longer than tepals"  (Stone, 1970; p 130).

"Succulent, large, stemless, subwoody, to 2 m high before flowering.  Leaves simple, spirally arranged in a basal rosette, blade lanceolate, 100-200 x 12-25 cm, margins with black prickles 7-10 mm long and a black terminal spine 3-5 cm long, surface waxy white, in cultivars often variegated with cream stripes.  Flowers infrequently, after 15 to 30 years of growth, not a century as the name would imply; flowers many and fetid in a panicle to 10 m high.  Corolla with fused tepals, funnel-shaped, divided about halfway into six wrinkled, linear-lanceolate segments 2.5-3.5 cm long, greenish yellow.  Fruit an oblong capsule 5-6 cm long"  (Whistler, 2000; p. 36).

Habitat/ecology:  "Coastal bluffs and cliffs, dunes, rocky places, savanna, disturbed sites"  (Weber, 2003; p. 26).  Subtropical to warm-temperate regions in its native habitat. In Fiji, "cultivated from sea level to about 250 m" (Smith, 1979; p. 154). In New Caledonia, "existe aujourd'hui dans des fourrés secondaires sans être très envahissant" (MacKee, 1994; p. 12).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  United States (Texas) and Mexico (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 21) "A garden escape now propagating itself by suckers". Voucher cited: J.G. Conran 628 (K, NSW)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 18) Persisting from planting.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1954) (voucher ID: BISH 596152) Taxon name on voucher: Agave americana Linnaeus
Cook Islands Cook Islands	Cook Islands	cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) Observed in survey, no herbarium record.
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (p. 154) Voucher cited: DA 16753
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 34102) Taxon name on voucher: Agave americana Linnaeus
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 699211) Taxon name on voucher: Agave americana Linnaeus
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1969) (voucher ID: BISH 699212) Taxon name on voucher: Agave americana Linnaeus
French Polynesia French Polynesia Islands	French Polynesia Islands		Waterhouse, D. F. (1997) (p. 59)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R. (1997) (p. 64)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced cultivated	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 130)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced invasive	Toyoda, Takeshi (2003) (p. 291) Naturalized
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 88) Presence not verified
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced cultivated	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 53) Voucher cited: Thaman & Manner 68 (SUVA)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 88)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 12) Vouchers cited: MacKee 15051, MacKee 24783 Spontané
Palau Palau (main island group)	Angaur Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 88) Agave sp.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 84) Agave sp.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 79) Agave sp.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Ngercheu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 92) (Carp Resort) Agave sp.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Ngerkebesang Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 79) Agave sp.
Palau Palau (main island group)	Peleliu Island	introduced cultivated	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 90)
Tonga Tonga Islands	Tonga Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 88)
Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna (Horne) Islands	Wallis (‘Uvea) Island	introduced cultivated	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2007) (p. 25) Agave cf. americana

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced	Weber, Ewald (2003) (p. 26)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Healy, A. J./Edgar, E. (1980) (p. 66) Voucher cited: W.R.B. Oliver, Feb., 1942 (WELT) Garden outcast

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island	introduced cultivated	Lavergne, Christophe (2006) "Cultivé"
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Agalega Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Stoddart, D. R. (1983) (p. 126)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast and Florida) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2009)

Comments:  Also reported invasive in the Canary Islands.

Control: 

Physical: Small plants may be dug out, making sure to remove all roots.

Additional information:
Photos and additional information at the Environment Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, web site of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Additional online information about Agave americana is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Agave americana as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Agave americana may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1954. Voucher specimen #BISH 596152 (Bonham, L.D. 11).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1969. Voucher specimen #BISH 34102 (Parham, J.W. 16753).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1969. Voucher specimen #BISH 699211 (Parham, J.W. 16753).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1969. Voucher specimen #BISH 699212 (Parham, J.W. 16753).

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Fosberg, F. R. 1997. Preliminary checklist of the flowering plants and ferns of the Society Islands. Ed. by David R. Stoddart. U. Cal. Berkeley.

Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. 1975. Vascular flora of the northern Marianas Islands. Smithsonian Contrib. Bot. 22:1-45.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1987. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian monocotyledonae. Micronesica 20:1-126.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Stoddart, D. R. 1983. List of the recorded vascular flora of Agalega. In: Sachet, M. H., D. R. Stoddart, and F. R. Fosberg. Floristics and ecology of Western Indian Ocean islands. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 273. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 253 pp.

Healy, A. J./Edgar, E. 1980. Flora of New Zealand, Volume III: Adventive cyperaceous, petalous & spathaceous monocotyledons. Government Printer, Wellington, New Zealand. 220 pp.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

Lavergne, Christophe. 2006. List des especes exotiques envahissantes a La Reunion. Unpublished manuscript (Excel file). .

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

McCormack, Gerald. 2008. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2007. Rapport de mission sur l'Ile d'Uvea (Wallis & Futuna) du 6 au 17 Novembre 2007: Inventaire preliminaire de la flore vasculaire secondaire [unpublished report]. Délégation à la Recherche, Ministère de l'Education, l'Enseignement Supérieur et la Recherche, B.P. 20981 Papeete, Tahiti, Polynésie française. 39 pp.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Smith, Albert C. 1979. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 1. 494 pp.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar. 2003. Report to the Republic of Palau on invasive plant species of environmental concern. USDA Forest Service, Honolulu. 174 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. 1994. The flora of Nauru. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Research Bulletin 392:1-223.

Toyoda, Takeshi. 2003. Flora of the Bonin Islands. Aboc & Co. 522 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2009. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Waterhouse, D. F. 1997. The major invertebrate pests and weeds of agriculture and plantation forestry in the Southern and Western Pacific. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 93 pp.

Weber, Ewald. 2003. Invasive plants of the World. CABI Publishing, CAB International, Wallingford, UK. 548 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 2000. Tropical ornamentals: a guide. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 542 pp.