Istle is a plant fibre obtained from various species of Agave and several other plants in Mexico and central America, and formerly used during the 19th century for making carpets and cords. Research Istle
Agave is a genus of plants of the family Amaryllidaceae which includes the daffodil and narcissus. They are popularly known as American aloes and formerly called the century plant from the mistaken belief that it lives a hundred years before flowering, then flowers and dies. They are generally large, and have a massive tuft of fleshy leaves with a spiny apex. They live for many years - ten to seventy according to treatment - before flowering. When this takes place the tall flowering stem springs from the centre of the tuft of leaves, and grows very rapidly until it reaches a height of 15, 20, or even 40 feet, bearing towards the end a large number of flowers; then the plant apparently dies down to the ground but a lateral bud springs from the underground part of the stem and a new plant is formed. The best-known species is Agave americdna (common American aloe), introduced into Europe 1561, and now extensively grown in the warmer parts of this continent as well as in Asia (India in particular). This and other species yield various important products. The Mexicans grew the plant to form dense hedges, and removed the buds for the sugary sap which exudes from the wounds thus made. The sap was collected and fermented and distilled to form pulque, a drink resembling cider. The leaves are used for feeding cattle; the fibres of the leaves (called pita, sisal hemp, or henequen} are formed into thread, cord, and ropes; an extract from the leaves is used as a substitute for soap; slices of the withered flower-stem are used as razor-strops. Research Agave
Amaryllidaceae is a family of monocotyledonous plants which are generally bulbous occasionally with a tall, cylindrical, woody stem (as in Agave); with a highly coloured flower, six stamens and an inferior three-celled ovary. They are native to Europe and most other warm parts of the world.
The order includes the snowdrop, the snow-flake, the daffodil, the belladonna-lily (belonging to the typical genus Amaryllis), the so-called Guernsey-lily (probably a native of Japan), the Brunsvigias, the blood-flowers (Haemanthus) of South Africa, different species of Narcissus, Agave (American aloe), etc. Many are highly prized in gardens and hothouses; the bulbs - of some are strongly poisonous. Research Amaryllidaceae
In Greek mythology, Agave was a daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia. She married Echion. Agave, along with her sisters refused to recognise Dionysus and mocked their sister Semele's claims that Dionysus was the son of Zeus. As a result
Agave and her sisters were punished with madness, a madness that caused Agave to tear her own son Pentheus to pieces. Research Agave
In Greek mythology, Echion was one of the Theban Sown Men. He married Agave and was the father of Pentheus. In Greek mythology, Echion was one of the Argonauts. He was a son of Hermes and Antianira. Research Echion
The Mirage 50 is a much improved variant of the Mirage 5, built for Chile, with the Atar 09K-50 turbojet and the option of Thomson-CSF Agave (Magic missiles) or Cyrano IVM (R530 missiles) multimode radar. Research Mirage 50
Aguardiente is a popular spirituous beverage of Spain and Portugal, a kind of coarse brandy, made from red wine, from the refuse of the grapes left in the wine-press, etc, generally flavoured with anise.
In Spanish speaking areas of the Americas the term is used to describe a distilled liquor similar to brandy made from cane sugar, and in Mexico for an alcoholic drink distilled from the fermented juice of the agave.. Research Aguardiente
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Istle
