Agave sisalana Perrine, Asparagaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Agave rigida var.sisalana Engelmann

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: jian ma

English: agave, century plant, sisal, sisal hemp

Fijian: dali, natali, ndali

Hawaiian: malina

I-Kiribati: te rob', te robu

Habit:  succulent

Description:  "A large succulent perennial with thick leaves in a basal rosette of 1.5-2 m height, elongated rhizomes and suckering from the base.  The bright green, linear-lancolate leaves are 90-130 cm long, 9-12 cm wide and have dark brown terminal spines of 2-2.5 cm length.  The margins are smooth or with numerous prickles.  Inflorescences form 5-6 m tall panicles of elliptic shape, with 10-20 lateral branches bearing umbels at the ends.  Flowers are 55-65 mm long, greenish yellow, malodorous, with dark-spotted or reddish filaments up to 6 cm long, and yellow anthers of c. 25 mm length.  The fruit is a capsule of c. 6 cm length and has a beak at the end"  (Weber, 2003; p. 27).

"Subacaulescent perennials.  Leaves at first glaucous with a bluish tinge, becoming green, linear-lanceolate, nearly flat, up to 150 cm long and 10 cm wide, margins smooth or with numerous prickles 2-4 mm long, apex with a dark brown, slightly recurved spine 2-2.5 cm long.  Bulbils usually forming in the axils of the bracteoles after flowering; tepals yellowish green, 4.5-6 cm long, the tube urceolate, 1.5-2 cm long.  Capsules rarely developing, when present, ca 6 cm long, apex beaked"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1348).

Habitat/ecology:  "Grass- and heathland, forests, rock outcrops, coastal beaches.  The weedy behavior is due to vegetative growth, allowing the species to colonize large areas and replace the native vegetation with its rosettes"  (Weber, 2003; p. 27).  Sisal is widely cultivated around the world for fiber.  In Fiji, "naturalized on grass- and reed-covered hillsides from near sea level to 450 m" (Smith, 1979; p. 154).  In Hawai‘i, locally naturalized in dry, often rocky sites"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1348).

Propagation:  Bulbils

Native range:  Yucatan, Mexico, but widely cultivated in tropical areas.

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Pagan Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1949) (voucher ID: BISH 596154) Taxon name on voucher: Agave rigida
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1966) (voucher ID: BISH 596149) Taxon name on voucher: Agave rigida
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 596150) Taxon name on voucher: Agave rigida
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Ulithi Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Woleai Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 154-155) Vouchers cited: Smith 4629, DA 16298
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 34101) Taxon name on voucher: Agave sisalana Perrine
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 699213) Taxon name on voucher: Agave sisalana Perrine
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 699214) Taxon name on voucher: Agave sisalana Perrine
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1968) (voucher ID: BISH 699215) Taxon name on voucher: Agave sisalana Perrine
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 94) "Potential invader".
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1348)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1348)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1348)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1348)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1348)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1348)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1348)
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 Line Islands	Tabuaeran (Fanning) Atoll	introduced	Wester, Lyndon (1985) (p. 19)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Abaiang Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Abemama Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 29) Voucher: Imada 2003-168 (BISH 697789)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Abemama Atoll		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (2003) (voucher ID: BISH 697789) Taxon name on voucher: Agave sisalana Perrine
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Arorei (Arorae) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Nikunau Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Space, James C./Imada, Clyde T. (2004) (p. 28)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 103)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Jemo Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Jemo Island	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R. (1955) (p. 6) Voucher cited: Fosberg 33862 (US)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Jemo Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1951) (voucher ID: BISH 101752) Taxon name on voucher: Agave rigida
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Jemo Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1988) (voucher ID: BISH 606394) Taxon name on voucher: Agave rigida
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Jemo Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1988) (voucher ID: BISH 1000272) Taxon name on voucher: Agave rigida
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Likiep Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Likiep Atoll	introduced cultivated	Fosberg, F. R. (1955) (p. 6) Voucher cited: Fosberg 27050 (US)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Likiep Atoll		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1946) (voucher ID: BISH 596151) Taxon name on voucher: Agave rigida
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 18)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced invasive	Thaman, R. R./Fosberg, F. R./Manner, H. I./Hassall, D. C. (1994) (p. 53) Vouchers cited: Fosberg 58739 (US), Hassall 215 (SUVA) Established locally.
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 88)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 12) Voucher cited: MacKee 42571
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1987) (p. 99)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara/Miles, Joel E./Tiobech, Joseph/Rengulbai, Kashgar (2003) (p. 84)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie (2009) (p. 58)
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago	introduced cultivated	Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 91)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 213) Widely planted for its fiber.
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands	Solomon Islands	introduced cultivated	Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. (1988) (p. 44)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Sand Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-3)

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 invasive	Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 10)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 1)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011) Widely cultivated. S. China.
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1979) (pp. 154-155)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 102) Agave sp.
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Alphonse Island		Robertson, I. A. D./Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 178) Voucher cited: Robertson 2876 (K)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Coetivy Island		Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 145)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 44)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South Africa South Africa	South Africa (Republic of)		Henderson, Lesley (1995)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Control: 

Physical: "Small plants and smaller patches may be dug out, but all roots and rhizomes must be removed".

Chemical: "Effective herbicides are glyphosate or triclopyr plus picloram applied to cut plants"  (Weber, 2003; p. 27).

Additional information:
Article from "Wildland Weeds".

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

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

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

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1946. Voucher specimen #BISH 596150 (Fosberg, F.R. 25055).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1946. Voucher specimen #BISH 596151 (Fosberg, F.R. 27050).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1949. Voucher specimen #BISH 596154 (Anderson, D. 555).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1951. Voucher specimen #BISH 101752 (Fosberg, F.R. 33862).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1966. Voucher specimen #BISH 596149 (Evans, M. 2161).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 34101 (Parham, J.W. 16298).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 699213 (Parham, J.W. 16298).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 699214 (Parham, J.W. 16298).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1968. Voucher specimen #BISH 699215 (Parham, J.W. 16298).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1988. Voucher specimen #BISH 606394 (Herbst, D.R. 9126).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1988. Voucher specimen #BISH 1000272 (Herbst, D.R. 9126).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 2003. Voucher specimen #BISH 697789 (C.Imada 2003-178).

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Fosberg, F. R. 1955. Northern Marshall Islands Expedition, 1951-1952. Land biota: vascular plants. Atoll Research Bulletin No. 39. Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, Washington. 22 pp.

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

Hancock, I. R./Henderson, C. P. 1988. Flora of the Solomon Islands. Research Bulletin No. 7. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Honiara. 203 pp.

Henderson, Lesley. 1995. Plant invaders of Southern Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute Handbook No. 5, Agriculture Research Council, ARC/LNR, Pretoria, South Africa. 177 pp.

Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. John Wiley & Sons, New York. 391 pp.

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

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

Merrill, Elmer D. 1925. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 1 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 463 pp.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty]. 1984. Flora of the Bismarck Archipelago for naturalists. Office of Forests, Division of Botany, Lae, Papua New Guinea. 638 pp. ISBN 9980-66-000-7.

Queensland Herbarium. 2002. Invasive Naturalised Plants in Southeast Queensland, alphabetical by genus. Modified from: Batianoff, George N. and Butler, Don W. (2002). Assessment of Invasive naturalized plants in south-east Queensland. Appendix. Plant Protection Quarterly 17, 27-34. 11 pp.

Robertson, I. A. D./Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. 1983. List of plants collected on Alphonse Island, Amirantes. 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.

Robertson, S. A./Fosberg, F. R. 1983. List of plants collected on Coetivy Island, Seychelles. 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.

Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. 1983. Vegetation of Frégate Island, Seychelles. 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.

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./Imada, Clyde T. 2004. Report to the Republic of Kiribati on invasive plant species on the islands of Tarawa, Abemama, Butaritari and Maiana. Cont. no. 2003-006 to the Pac. Biol. Surv. USDA Forest Service and Bishop Museum, Honolulu. 103 pp.

Space, James C./Lorence, David H./LaRosa, Anne Marie. 2009. Report to the Republic of Palau: 2008 update on Invasive Plant Species. USDA Forest Service, Hilo, Hawai‘i. 227 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.

Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd. 2008. Botanical survey of Midway Atoll. Prepared for: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 27 pp. plus appendices.

Swarbrick, J. T. 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: a report to Parks Australia. 101 pp. plus appendix.

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

Thaman, R. R. 1987. Plants of Kiribati: a listing and analysis of vernacular names. Atoll Res. Bull. 296:1-42.

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.

Thaman, R. R./Tuiwawa, M. 1999. Invasive, potentially invasive and adventive alien plant species of Fiji: a preliminary analysis of their status and measures required for their control. Preliminary draft discussion paper prepared for the SPREP Regional Invasive Species Strategy for the South Pacific Islands Region: Regional Workshop, Nadi, Fiji, 26 September-1 October 1999.

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

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Vander Velde, Nancy. 2003. The vascular plants of Majuro Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Atoll Research Bulletin No. 503:1-141.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

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

Wester, Lyndon. 1985. Checklist of the vascular plants of the northern Line Islands. Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Atoll Reseach Bulletin 287:1-38.

Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. 1999. Botanical survey of the United States of America Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Islands. Prepared for Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the U. S. Army Environmental Center. 111 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).