Agave lechuguilla, commonly known as Lechuguilla, is the smallest Agave growing in the Trans-Pecos area of the Chihuahuan Desert. Its leaves are usually less than an inch (2.5 cm) wide, and the plant ranges from 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) in height. Though sometimes listed as an indicator species of the Chihuahuan, that is not strictly the case, as this plant can also be found in the Sonoran and Coahuilan deserts. It is the dominant plant species on over 38,000 square miles (98,000 square meters) of calcareous soils that are of little use for anything else.
Lechuguilla frequently grows in almost impenetrable thickets, and it is stiff, inwardly curved spines are capable of piercing skin, leather, and even off-road vehicle tires. If you have ever stepped in one, you understand first-hand how the curvature of the spine helps it dig deep into your calf, how its backwardly aimed side spines make it difficult to get free, and how its deep puncture wounds hurt like the dickens and can take months to heal. These spines can cripple a horse and severely injure any human who happens to fall upon it. If there is one plant in the Chihuahuan desert to avoid, this is it.
But Lechuguilla is not all bad. Like its other Agave brethren, it stays green year-round. Then, when it's old enough, it sends up a flower stalk that rises 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 m). It is covered with lovely wine and yellow-colored flowers.
Since the flowering stalk is so tall, you may spend a lot of time visiting the Chihuahuan Desert without seeing the small flowers that create this display.
When it is in bloom, Lechuguilla hosts countless pollinating insects, including the Coahuila Giant Skipper, entirely dependent on this plant. After flowering, the remaining stalk is one of the few viable alternatives to wood found in the Chihuahuan desert.
Lechuguilla has been used for food, drink, and fiber for over 10,000 years. The toxic juices have been used as an arrow poison, a fish stupefier, a medicine, and a soap. Aztecs made a powerful antibiotic from a mixture of Lechuguilla juice and salt and used it as a dressing for wounds and a balm for skin infections. The Mescalero Apaches baked the central stems in pits, rolled out the pulp, dried it, and stored it as sweet bread. They also fermented the pulp to make an alcoholic drink made today and sold in Mexico as "Clandestino." The water stored in the leaves is rich in salts and minerals and is sold as a sports drink.
People have always valued Lechuguilla for its fiber. Its leaves are so thick with fiber that it is difficult to see how the plant stores anything else inside. The fibers are long, tough, resilient, strong, and extremely durable. Native Americans fashioned Lechuguilla fibers into sandals, baskets, nets, rugs, cordage, and a wide range of other products.
Source: aneyefortexas.wordpress.com
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