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 schottii direct sunlight. Individuals of this species are flowering shrubs. The "Agave schottii", like other "Agave" species, are succulents with a rosette of thick, blue-green, finger-like leaves with sharp spines on their tips. The "Agave schottii" is different from other "Agave" in that the leaves do not have spines on its edges, which makes it a member of the "Agave" subgenus Littaea. Its leaves typically grow to a length of about 0.3 meters (0.98 feet). Because its height is about that of a human's shin, and because it has sharp, spiny leaves, this species has been given the common name "Shindagger."