Agave millspaughii

Agave millspaughii Trel.

Family: Asparagaceae

Habit: Agave millspaughii grows as an acaulescent, semi succulent shrub.  The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette producing new leaves from the center every year.  The leaves are light green, up to 1.5 meters in length and 15 cm in width, slightly plicate. The leaf apex is modified into a stout, red brown grooved spine. Leaf apical spine recurved, and the leaf margin is green with curved prickles 1-2 cm apart.  It does not produce pups at the base.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in a terminal panicle to 5 meters in height.  The calyx has 3 unfused green sepals.  The corolla has 3 yellow, unfused petals.  There are 6 unfused stamens.  The superior ovary has 3 locules and numerous seeds.  The fruit is a light brown capsule at maturity.  The plant uses the entire apical meristem during flowering and will die off after the fruits become mature.

Habitat: Agave millspaughii grows in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formation – Shrublands on a mixed limestone and sand substrate.

Distribution:  Agave millspaughii is a single island endemic species only known to occur in the Exumas.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Agave millspaughii is not used medicinally in the Bahamas.