Agave bahamana

Agave bahamana Trel.

Common Names: Bahama Century Plant

Family: Asparagaceae

Habit: Agave bahamana 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 grayish green, up to 2 meters in length, 20 cm wide and develop an involute/plicate groove with age.  The leaf apex is modified into a stout spine and the leaf margin is prickled along the upper edge to nearly lacking.

The complete, prefect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in a terminal panicle to 12 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 bahamana grows in a sand substrate on beach dunes and on limestone in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formation – Woodland (Scrubland).

Distribution:  Agave bahamana occurs in the central and northern island groupings of the Lucayan Archipelago and is considered endemic.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage:  Agave bahamana is not known to be used medicinally in the Bahamas.