Agavaceae · Agave

Kamal Cactus / Century Plant

Agave americana

Also known as American Aloe

ShruboutdoorMedicinal
Habit
Shrub
Found in India
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Agave americana
Genus
Agave
Family
Agavaceae
Habit
Shrub
Native to
Mexico
Distribution
All Tropics
Found in India
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Odisha
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf shape
Broad succulent rosetterecorded

Typical of the family

Parallel venation leaf character
Venation
Parallel

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kamal Cactus itself; the rest are typical of the Agavaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
YellowrecordedTowards the end of its life, the plant produces a tall, branched stalk adorned with yellow blossoms, which can reach a height of 8–9 m (25–30 ft). — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kamal Cactus itself; the rest are typical of the Agavaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
Kamal cactus कमल कैक्टस, Gwarpatha ग्वारपाठा
Nepali
केतुकी Ketukee, केतुके, हात्तीबार
Bengali
আগাভা আমেরিকানা
Tamil
ஆனைக் கற்றாழை, யானைக் கற்றாழை, ரயில் கற்றாழை
Telugu
కిత్తనార Kittanara, అమెరికా కలబంద
Kannada
ಆನೆಕತ್ತಾಳೆ Aanekattaale, ದೆವ್ವಬಾಳೆ Devva baale, ರಾಕ್ಷಸಬಾಳೆ Raakshasa baale
Malayalam
ആനക്കൈത
Marathi
घायपात

About Kamal Cactus

A member of the Agavaceae family, Century Plant (Agave americana) is a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and 6 other states. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Uses

In practice it is long used in traditional medicine, planted as an ornamental and stripped for fibre used in rope and matting. Those medicinal uses are traditional attributions, not medical advice. Its sap or hairs can irritate skin, so handle it with care.

Illustration representing the Agavaceae family
Botanical family

Agavaceae

Agave Family

Kamal Cactus belongs to the Agavaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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