Agave amica

From-wikipedia common 

The tuberose and Polianthes tuberosa are other names for it. The plant species is frequently cultivated as an ornamental and was originally native to Mexico.

Systematic position 

Kingdom-Plantae

Order-Asparagales

Family-Asparagaceae

Genus-Agave

Species-A. amica

The common name is derived from the Latin tuberosa through the French tubéreuse, which refers to the root structure and means bloated or tuberous.

Description

It is herbaceous and grows from tuberous roots or underground tubers. It results in offsets. The leaves are a dull green colour and range in size from 0.5 inches broad at the base to 1-1.5 feet long. They have a mild succulent flavour. Pure white waxy flowers are found on a spike-shaped inflorescence that can grow up to three feet tall. The flowers are intensely scented and tubular, with a tube up to 2.5 inches long that splits into six flared segments at the end. A three-part stigma and six stamens that are placed into the blossom tube are present. The flower spikes on the double-flowered cultivar "The Pearl" are shorter, typically reaching about 1.5 to 2 feet, and have broader, darker leaves. There have been reports of the species' orange-flowered varieties. Additionally as a result of species hybridization.In addition, there are now yellow, pink, red, and greenish varieties as a result of species hybridization.

Taxonomy

In 1753, Carl Linnaeus published the first scientific description of the plant under the name Polianthes tuberosa. Friedrich Kasimir Medikus transferred the species to the genus Tuberosa in 1790 under the name Tuberosa amica. Polianthes is currently a member of a broadly defined Agave after morphological and molecular phylogenetic investigations revealed its integration into the wider genus Agave. When the species was transferred to Agave, two unsuccessful naming efforts were made.The name "Agave tuberosa" was first published in 1999 by Joachim Thiede and Urs Eggli. However, Thiede and Eggli's name is invalid because Philip Miller had already published this name for the species that is now known as Furcraea tuberosa in 1768. As a result, it cannot be used again. "Agave polianthes" was the nomen novum (replacement name) that Thiede and Eggli published in 2001. The International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants recommends using Medikus' Tuberosa amica, which has the second-oldest epithet, whenever the older epithet is not available because it is thought of as a synonym of Polianthes tuberosa.Thiede and Rafa Govaerts indicated that Agave amica is the proper name for the species when they published this combination in 2017, rendering Thiede and Eggli's second name unnecessary.

Distribution

It is thought that central and southern Mexico are the native home of the tuberose. Because it was domesticated by the Aztecs, it is no longer found in the wild. Many tropical and arctic nations currently grow it.

Cultivation

Hardiness zones 8–10 allow for the outdoor overwintering of tuberoses. Tuberoses are planted as summer annuals in cooler climates, either in pots or mixed-flower beds where their fragrance can be appreciated. After the rhizome is planted, the plants need around 4 months of warm weather before they can flower. The rhizomes are often started in pots in greenhouses in late winter or early spring, and moved outside in late spring once the risk of frost has gone.They might not bloom until September if they are planted at this time straight in the ground, thus shortening the time that their blossoms can be appreciated. The rhizomes should be dug and placed in a cool, dry, and dark location for the winter as the foliage starts to turn yellow in October.The most well-known variant is a double-flowered cultivar called "The Pearl" that reaches a height of 2.5 feet and has buds that change from pale pink to cream as they bloom. Mexican Single, the more popular kind, is less ornamental than "The Pearl," but it makes for a cut bloom that lasts longer.Louis XIV of France had hundreds of tuberoses planted in the flower beds of the Grand Trianon at Versailles so that the fragrance was overpowering, which undoubtedly helped mask the smells from the poor sanitation of the palace. Tuberoses were one of Louis XIV's favourite flowers. To keep the scent consistently strong, new specimens were rotated in, sometimes every day. They were grown in clay pots and planted directly in the ground.

Uses

Since the 17th century, when the flower was originally brought to Europe, the overwhelming scent of the tuberose has been distilled for use in perfumery. Sillage de la Reine, also known as Parfum de Trianon and composed of tuberose, orange blossom, sandalwood, jasmine, iris, and cedar, was the perfume worn by French Queen Marie Antoinette. Even though the essence is strong and can make the wearer feel unwell, it is nevertheless a widely used floral note in perfumes, whether in standalone Tuberose fragrances or combined floral smells.They are frequently used to create flower garlands in India and Bangladesh that are either dedicated to the gods or utilised as wedding decorations.It was once used in flower arrangements for funerals, but it is now utilised in floral arrangements for various events.Cooking in Indonesia also makes use of tuberose flowers.They are one of the primary flowers used in Hawaii while making leis. Other examples include plumeria, ginger etc.