Agave young flower stalk. Agave nectar (also called agave syrup), a sweetener derived from the sap, is used as an alternative to sugar in cooking, and can be added to breakfast cereals as a binding agent. The sap of "A. americana" and other species is used in Mexico and Mesoamerica to produce "pulque", an alcoholic beverage. The flower shoot is cut out and the sap collected and subsequently fermented. By distillation, a spirit called "mezcal" is prepared; one of the best-known forms of mezcal is tequila. When dried and cut in slices, the flowering stem forms natural razor strops, and the
Agave polianthiflora Agave polianthiflora Agave polianthiflora is a relatively small member of the genus Agave, in the subfamily Agavoideae, endemic to northern Mexico. The succulent is native to the States of Sinaloa, Chihuahua and Sonora. "Agave polianthiflora" produces a small basal leaf rosette of about in diameter. Leaves are narrow and lanceolate, with multiple white filaments protruding from their edges. Flowers are red and tubular, in length and narrow, unusual in the genus. The flower spike is tall. "Agave polianthiflora" is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It is mostly easily propagated from seed, as it does not offset as much as other