Agave fourcroydes
| Henequen | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Agavoideae |
| Genus: | Agave |
| Species: | A. fourcroydes
|
| Binomial name | |
| Agave fourcroydes | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Agave fourcroydes or henequen is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae,[2] native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. It is reportedly naturalized in Italy, Madeira,[2] in the Canary and Cayman Islands, Hispaniola, the Lesser Antilles, and Cuba, and in Costa Rica.
Overview
The leaves of Agave fourcroydes yield a fiber also called henequen, which is suitable for rope and twine but not of as high a quality as sisal.[3] It is the major plantation fiber agave of eastern Mexico, being grown extensively in Yucatán, Veracruz, and Tamaulipas. It is also used to make licor del henequén, a traditional Mexican alcoholic drink.
The plant appears as a rosette of sword-shaped leaves 1.2–1.8 metres (3.9–5.9 ft) meters long, growing out of a thick stem that may reach 1.7 meters (5 ft). The leaves have regularly spaced teeth 3–6 mm long and a terminal spine 2–3 cm long.
Like sisal, A. fourcroydes is a sterile hybrid; the ovaries never produce seeds. The plant does produce bulbils that may be planted, but commercial growers prefer to use the frequent suckers, which develop more quickly.
The first person of Spanish descent to document the plant and its usefulness for ropes and other naval utensils was José María Lanz, a Mexican-born engineer in service of the Spanish Navy, who studied henequen in Yucatán in 1783.
In mezcal
Henequen, like other species of agave, is used in the production of mezcal.
Gallery
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Henequen farm in Yucatán Peninsula.
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Henequen being harvested in 1922 for pulp to make paper.
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See also
References
- ^ "Agave fourcroydes Lem". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Verloove, F.; Smith, G.F. (2024). "An update on Agave and Furcraea (Agavaceae; Asparagaceae sensu lato) escaped and naturalised in Madeira". Bradleya. 42: 186–196. doi:10.25223/brad.n42.2024.a20.
- ^ "Henequen | Agave fourcroydes, Mexican fiber, Sisal | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
Further reading
- Gentry, Howard Scott (1982). Agaves of Continental North America. Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press. pp. 573–576.
- Lanz, José María (October 15, 1783). Observaciones que el alférez de fragata D. José Maria de Lanz, forma sobre la planta nombrada henequen, sus utilidades, y lo conveniente de su fomento, en cumplimiento de la comision con que lo despacho á Yucatan para la inspeccion de la járcia de esta especie, el Sr. D. Francisco de Borja, jefe de escuadra de la real armada, y comandante de las fuerzas maritimas del departamento de la Habana [Observations made by Ensign José Maria de Lanz on the plant called "henequen", its uses, and the advisability of its promotion, in compliance with the commission with which he is dispatched to Yucatan for the inspection of the rigging of this species, by Mr. Francisco de Borja, squadron leader of the royal navy, and commander of the maritime forces of the department of Havana]. [publisher and location unknown]. Reprinted in Lanz, José María (1846). "Title as above" [Title translation as above]. Registro Yucateco: Periodico Literario, Redactado por una Sociedad de Amigos. 3. Merida, Yucatan: Castillo Y Compania: 81–95. Retrieved March 12, 2026.