Agave parryi (Barrel agave)

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Agave parryi Engelm.

Barrel agave

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Liliidae	Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order	Asparagales	A diverse group that includes asparagus
Family	Asparagaceae	Agaves, asparagus, hyacinths, and others
Genus	Agave	From Greek, meaning “noble”
Species	parryi	Named for botanist Charles Parry

About plant names...

Varieties of Parry's agave are native to Arizona and Mexico, between 4000-9000' (1.2-2.7 km) in elevation.

Identification: Rosettes reach 24" (60 cm) tall and 3' (91 cm) around, and resemble giant artichokes. Leaves are 10-16" (25-40 cm) long and 3-5" (7.6-12 cm) wide, wide and flat or somewhat oval in shape, tapering to a sharp dark tan, brown, or black tip. They are smooth and rigid, about ½-¾" (1.3-1.9 cm) thick, edged with teeth, light grayish- or bluish-green.

Edibility: Indigenous peoples including the Apaches prepared this agave in many different ways as a food source.

References:

Irish, Mary & Irish, Gary, Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants: A Gardener’s Guide, Timber Press, 2000, p. 146

Online References:

Desert-tropicals.com (Agave parryi var. parryi)

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network (Agave parryi var. parryi)

George and Audrey DeLange's Arizona wildflower site (Agave parryi var. truncata)

The United States Department of Agriculture's Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (Agave parryi var. parryi)

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M University, Texas A&M System

Agave parryi description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.