Agave LOPHANTHA - Thorncrest century plant, Agave lophantha.
Agave is a genus of evergreen perennial herbaceous plants in the family Asparagaceae, comprising about 300 species distributed across the Caribbean islands and in arid regions of North, Central, and South America. No more than 50 species are common in cultivation.
Members of the genus form rosettes of fleshy leaves, often with spiny margins and sharp tips. The leaves can be broad or narrow, colored in gray-green, glaucous, or green shades, sometimes with variegated coloration. The stem is generally shortened. The plants are adapted to prolonged droughts, spreading broadly with powerful roots, absorbing moisture from upper soil layers and storing it in their leaves.
Flowering occurs at the age of 15-20 years, after which the plant dies. A tall peduncle emerges from the rosette of powerful leaves, atop which an inflorescence forms in the shape of a panicle or raceme, usually yellow or cream-colored. The fruits are capsules with flat seeds. After the seeds ripen, the above-ground parts of the mother plant die off, and daughter offshoots grow from the rhizomes.
Thorncrest century plant is a striking succulent forming a compact rosette of leaves reaching 30-45 cm (11.8-17.7 in) in height and up to 60 cm (23.6 in) in width. Rigid thick leaf blades with serrated margins are bordered with small dark red teeth. At maturity, the plant sends up a tall stalk with clusters of greenish-yellow flowers. It forms offsets at the base.