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Internal ID UUID64402451dac3b117592741
Scientific name Agave fourcroydes
Authority Lem.
First published in Ill. Hort. 11(Misc.): 65 (1864)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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General Uses Top

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Common products:
Rope, binder twine, and baler twine; yarn for textiles; woven and knitted fabrics; floor mats and wall coverings; carpets and doormats; bags and sacks; handcrafted items such as hats, sandals, and small goods.

Industrial and craft applications:
Fiber used as reinforcement in composite materials for panels, auto interiors, and molding; fiber fill for mattresses and upholstery; twisted and braided cordage for agricultural and industrial binding; pulp for paper and board; handcrafted goods where durability and water resistance are required.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Fresh or roasted “cabeza” and “piña” (stem and basal leaf mass) are processed by cooking, milling, and fermentation to produce tequila-like spirits. Primary products are distilled agave spirits; any non-distilled fermented drinks are not standardized for this species.

Colorants and tanning:
No documented use for dyes, inks, or tannins.

Wood and fiber:
Bast fiber from leaves, marketed as sisal; fiber length typically long enough for heavy-duty rope. Mechanical properties depend on cellulose content and fiber orientation, which provide high tensile strength for cordage and stiffening in composites.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented use as a fragrance ingredient or cosmetic additive.

Properties relevant to use:
Long, strong bast fiber with high cellulose content enables durable cordage and structural reinforcement; coarse texture suitable for brushes, scouring pads, and heavy-duty textiles; plant biomass suitable for pulping and papermaking; cooked leaf tissue yields fermentable sugars for beverage production.

Standards and regulation:
Rope/twine specifications often referenced to United Nations Standardized sisal rules; food-grade agave spirit production subject to national regulations for alcoholic beverages; national fiber grading systems may apply to sisal from A. fourcroydes.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Grown on large plantations in Mexico, especially the Yucatán Peninsula; harvesting cycles typically several years with leaf-by-leaf cutting to maintain field productivity.

Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Agave fourcroydes var. espiculata L.H.Dewey J. Washington Acad. Sci. 19: 416 (1929)
Agave sullivanii Trel. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 23: 119 (1920)
Agave rigida var. elongata Baker Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1892: 23. 1893

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English henequen
Spanish agave rigida var. elongata
Spanish agave fourcroydes var. espiculata
Spanish agave sullivanii
Spanish ki
Spanish henequen
Spanish henequén
Spanish
Bulgarian хенекен
German henequen
Japanese エネケン
Korean 에네켄
Macedonian хенекен
Polish agawa henekwen
Polish agawa henequen
Russian Агава фуркреевидная
Russian Агава фуркроидная
Russian Генекен
Russian Юкатанская конопля
Russian Хенекен
Serbian хенеквен
Serbian Хенеквен
Turkish heneken
Ukrainian Хенекен
Ukrainian Агава фуркроїдна
Vietnamese thùa tây
Chinese 黄条龙舌兰
Chinese 黃條龍舌蘭
Chinese 灰叶剑麻

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Southern America
    • Caribbean
      • Cayman Islands
      • Cuba
      • Dominican Republic
      • Haiti
      • Leeward Islands
      • Puerto Rico
    • Central America
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala

Links to other databases Top

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Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000754384
USDA Plants AGFO2
Tropicos 1201575
INPN 629039
Flora of Italy 8879
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:61980-1
The Plant List kew-293821
Open Tree Of Life 3996079
NCBI Taxonomy 1824557
IPNI 61980-1
iNaturalist 281031
GBIF 2767123
Freebase /m/01spx0
EPPO AGVFO
EOL 1083899
US Library of Congress sh85060255
USDA GRIN 5436
Wikipedia Agave_fourcroydes
PFAF Agave fourcroydes

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
Accession Assembly
Name Level Submitter Released Coverage Size
GCA_032274185.1 ASM3227418v1 Scaffold Iridian Genomes 2023-10-02 80 1.77 Gb

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Agave durangensis (Asparagales: Asparagaceae: Agavoideae) González-Trillo AC, Reyes López MÁ, Almaraz-Abarca N, Herrera-Arrieta Y, Gutiérrez-Velázquez MV, Barraza Salas M, Monreal-García HM, Torres-Ricario R Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 22-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11036899
doi:10.1080/23802359.2024.2338546
PMID:38655148
The Complete Genome Sequences of 12 Species of Plants from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico Peña-Ramírez YJ, Labrín-Sotomayor NY, Becerra-Lucio PA, Ruiz-González H, Fortuny-Fernández NM, Alatorre-Cobos F, Pirro S Biodivers Genomes 08-Apr-2024
PMCID:PMC11031197
doi:10.56179/001c.116283
Draft genomes of four Kluyveromyces marxianus isolates retrieved from the elaboration process of henequen (Agave fourcroydes) mezcal Lozano-Aguirre L, Avitia M, Lappe-Oliveras P, Licona-Cassani C, Cevallos MA, Le Borgne S Microbiol Resour Announc 31-Jan-2024
PMCID:PMC10927654
doi:10.1128/mra.00861-23
PMID:38294215
A chromosome-level genome assembly of Agave hybrid NO.11648 provides insights into the CAM photosynthesis Yang Z, Yang Q, Liu Q, Li X, Wang L, Zhang Y, Ke Z, Lu Z, Shen H, Li J, Zhou W Hortic Res 19-Dec-2023
PMCID:PMC10848310
doi:10.1093/hr/uhad269
PMID:38333731
Agave amica a potential model for the study of agavins metabolism Salomé-Abarca LF, Márquez-López RE, López MG Sci Rep 14-Nov-2023
PMCID:PMC10645838
doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47062-3
PMID:37964003
Thermoplastic Starch Biocomposite Films Reinforced with Nanocellulose from Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul Bagasse Lomelí-Ramírez MG, Reyes-Alfaro B, Martínez-Salcedo SL, González-Pérez MM, Gallardo-Sánchez MA, Landázuri-Gómez G, Vargas-Radillo JJ, Diaz-Vidal T, Torres-Rendón JG, Macias-Balleza ER, García-Enriquez S Polymers (Basel) 17-Sep-2023
PMCID:PMC10534575
doi:10.3390/polym15183793
PMID:37765647
Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity of Kluyveromyces marxianus Isolates Obtained from the Elaboration Process of Two Traditional Mexican Alcoholic Beverages Derived from Agave: Pulque and Henequen (Agave fourcroydes) Mezcal Lappe-Oliveras P, Avitia M, Sánchez-Robledo SD, Castillo-Plata AK, Pedraza L, Baquerizo G, Le Borgne S J Fungi (Basel) 28-Jul-2023
PMCID:PMC10455534
doi:10.3390/jof9080795
PMID:37623566
Vegetable Cellulose Fibers in Natural Rubber Composites R. Lozada E, Gutiérrez Aguilar CM, Jaramillo Carvalho JA, Sánchez JC, Barrera Torres G Polymers (Basel) 30-Jun-2023
PMCID:PMC10347282
doi:10.3390/polym15132914
PMID:37447558
Trans–Holocene Bayesian chronology for tree and field crop use from El Gigante rockshelter, Honduras Kennett DJ, Harper TK, VanDerwarker A, Thakar HB, Domic A, Blake M, Benz BF, George RJ, Scheffler TE, Culleton BJ, Kistler L, Hirth KG PLoS One 23-Jun-2023
PMCID:PMC10289419
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0287195
PMID:37352287
Lessons from the history of Agave: ecological and cultural context for valuation of CAM Davis SC, Ortiz-Cano HG Ann Bot 06-Jun-2023
PMCID:PMC10799984
doi:10.1093/aob/mcad072
PMID:37279950
Somaclonal Variation—Advantage or Disadvantage in Micropropagation of the Medicinal Plants Duta-Cornescu G, Constantin N, Pojoga DM, Nicuta D, Simon-Gruita A Int J Mol Sci 03-Jan-2023
PMCID:PMC9821087
doi:10.3390/ijms24010838
PMID:36614275
Uses, Knowledge and Extinction Risk Faced by Agave Species in Mexico Alducin-Martínez C, Ruiz Mondragón KY, Jiménez-Barrón O, Aguirre-Planter E, Gasca-Pineda J, Eguiarte LE, Medellin RA Plants (Basel) 27-Dec-2022
PMCID:PMC9824392
doi:10.3390/plants12010124
PMID:36616253
Effective Tensile Strength Estimation of Natural Fibers through Micromechanical Models: The Case of Henequen Fiber Reinforced-PP Composites Espinach FX, Julian F, Alcalà M, Vilaseca F, Carrasco F, Mutjé P Polymers (Basel) 12-Nov-2022
PMCID:PMC9695169
doi:10.3390/polym14224890
PMID:36433017
Tensile Behavior of 3D Printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) Based Composites Reinforced with Natural Fiber Agaliotis EM, Ake-Concha BD, May-Pat A, Morales-Arias JP, Bernal C, Valadez-Gonzalez A, Herrera-Franco PJ, Proust G, Koh-Dzul JF, Carrillo JG, Flores-Johnson EA Polymers (Basel) 23-Sep-2022
PMCID:PMC9570513
doi:10.3390/polym14193976
PMID:36235924
Agave americana: Characteristics and Potential Breeding Priorities Davis SC Plants (Basel) 02-Sep-2022
PMCID:PMC9460544
doi:10.3390/plants11172305
PMID:36079687

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Steroidal glycosides / Steroidal saponins
(1R,2S,4S,5'R,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13S,16S,18S)-16-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-5-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-3,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-4-[(2S,3R,4R,5S,6R)-3,4-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-5-[(2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-3,4-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-10-one 101011650 Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(C(=O)CC5C4CCC6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)OC9C(C(C(C(O9)CO)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)C)O)O)O)O)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)C)C)C)OC1 1387.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004
(2R,3S,4S,5R,6R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(1R,2S,3'S,4S,5'R,6S,7S,8R,9S,12S,13R,16S,18S,19S)-3'-hydroxy-5',7,9,13-tetramethyl-19-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol 162987206 Click to see CC1CC(C2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(CCC5C4CC(C6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)O)O)O)C)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)O)O)C)C)OC1)O 772.90 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004
(2R,3S,4S,5R,6R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(1R,2S,4S,5'R,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13R,16S,18S,19S)-5',7,9,13-tetramethyl-19-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol 162942849 Click to see 756.90 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004
(2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-2-[(2R,3S,4R,5R,6S)-6-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6R)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-[(1R,2S,4S,5'R,6R,7S,8R,9S,12S,13S,16S,18S)-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-3-[(2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-3,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-4-yl]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxy-6-methyloxane-3,4,5-triol 101617559 Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(CCC5C4CCC6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)OC9C(C(C(C(O9)CO)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)C)O)O)O)O)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)C)C)C)OC1 1373.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004
16-[5-[3-[3,5-Dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-4-[3,4-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-5-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl)oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-3,4-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-10-one 85077858 Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(C(=O)CC5C4CCC6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)CO)O)OC9C(C(C(C(O9)CO)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)C)O)O)O)O)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)OC2C(C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O)O)O)O)O)C)C)C)OC1 1387.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004
2-(Hydroxymethyl)-6-[3'-hydroxy-5',7,9,13-tetramethyl-19-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol 78172924 Click to see 772.90 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004
2-(Hydroxymethyl)-6-[5',7,9,13-tetramethyl-19-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl]oxyoxane-3,4,5-triol 73313118 Click to see 756.90 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004
2-[6-[2-[4,5-Dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-(5',7,9,13-tetramethylspiro[5-oxapentacyclo[10.8.0.02,9.04,8.013,18]icosane-6,2'-oxane]-16-yl)oxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-3-[3,5-dihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-5-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-4-yl]oxy-4,5-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-3-yl]oxy-6-methyloxane-3,4,5-triol 13831872 Click to see 1373.50 unknown https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BMC.2004.05.004

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