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
Aloe is a genus of plants of the family Liliaceae. They are natives of Africa and other hot regions. The leaves are fleshy, thick and spinous at the edges. The flowers have a tubular corolla. Some species are a few centimeters tall, others grow to a height of more than ten metres. Research Aloe
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
The stratiotes are a genus of aquatic herbs belonging to the family Hydrocharidaceae. The one species is the water-soldier (Stratiotes aloides), a native of Britain. It has great prickly leaves, not unlike those of the aloe, and bears in summer a flower-stalk, surmounted by a sheaf containing several attractive white flowers. Research Stratiotes
Calamine is a pink powder that is made of zincoxide with a small amount of ferric oxide. It is used in lotions, ointments, and liniments. It is a customary mixture that is soothing and healing to the skin. It is great for itchy rashes such as poison ivy. It is natural but some formulas contain phenol which can cause poisoning when applied to the skin. A blend of natural calamine and aloevera is a good pure skin treatment for burns, rashes and insect bites. Research Calamine
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Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Agave
