A new species described by Cabral, Villareal and Estrada in Act. Bot. Mexicana 80: 51-57 (2007). It belongs to the subgenus Littaea and the Striatae group. It grows in the Sierra Madre Oriental. A distinguishing feature is a ring of hairs growing near the tip of each leaf, below the terminal spine.
© Ismael Cabral
 
One of the newly named species following the revision of the taxonomic status of agave gypsophila belonging to the Marmoratae group (Vasquez-Garciae & Nieves 2013). Endemic to southern Jalisco.
 
 
Sahagun & Vazquez-Garcia 2013. Endemic to Sierra de Coalcoman, Michoacan.
One of the newly named species following the revision of the taxonomic status of agave gypsophila belonging to the Marmorate group.
 
 
A close relative of agave angustiarum belonging to the genus Littaea and the Marginatae group and described in 2007 by Chazaro, Valencia and Vazquez. It was originally named agave colimillensis. It grows on virtually unreachable vertical cliffs and is endemic to the barranca of Colimilla and Rio Verde, Jalisco. It does not produce offsets or bulbils.
 
 
 
This is probably a provisional name as the plant has not yet formally been described. A hybrid between x mitis nova and ellemeetiena the plant appears to have similarities with attenuata and pedunculifera ( Amolae group).
 
               
Photos by Jeremy Spath
 
Described by Webb & Starr in 2014 from Picachos de Santa Clara, Baja California. It's closest relative would appear to be agave vizcainoensis and the two form the new section Intermediae in the author's new revision of the group Deserticolae. It is a medium-sized species with distinctive glaucous blue-green leaves that does not produce offsets, has a relatively short and narrow inflorescence, and a distinctive flower structure. This new species is a narrow endemic restricted to mostly rocky slopes and alluvial surfaces emanating from isolated mesas and peaks in an environment with strong fog influence.
 
© Webb & Starr 2014
 
Newly described by Greg Starr in Phytotaxa 428 (2): 073–080 92020). The plant was first discovered in 2004 on limestone hills north of Nizanda on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca,Mexico. It belonds in subgenus Littaea, Marginatae group). Nearest relatives are agave ghiesbreghtii (and huehueteca) and agave angustiarum.
 
© Greg Starr 2020
 
Nice photos here: https://www.agaveville.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9773&sid=b7c8ca2e0372f721606a6a4cddb37902
 
Newly described by Vazquez & Valencia in 2007. It was found in Tequila, Jalisco and with the stiff unarmed leaves is thought by some possibly to be the long lost agave bakeri, although this is no longer an accepted concept.
Subgenus Littaea, originally placed in group Marginatae it subsequently found itself in Amolae (Serrulatae) and recently in section Inermes.
 
(photo from Nick Macer)
 
Described by Lode and Pino in 2007 in Cactus Aventures (January 2008). The type plant is to be found in Peru but these plants have also been observed in Bolivia,Columbia and Ecuador. It would appear that in the past they have been mistakenly identified as agave americana or agave americana v. expansa. One of the characteristics of this plant is the inflorescence which is bent and grows almost horizontally in a comma shape. Subgenus Agave.
 
    
Habitat photos from Peru by Helmut Wendenburg © 2008


Described in March 2018 by Greg Starr, Etter and Kristen (Cactus and Succulent Journal 90(1):39-45 ). It is a small-sized species in the  subgenus Littaea and the Striatae group  and is endemic to Cerro las Flores on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec 
 in southern Oaxaca. Closely related to agave dasyliriodes, agave kavandivi and agave stricta. Gentry's original Striatae section (1982) consisted of agave striata, stricta and  dasylirioides ( now reverted to agave dealbata), none from Oaxaca,  
but subsequent research has produced  6 new species ( albopilosa; gracielae; kavandivi; petrophila; rzedowskiana and tenuifolia) .
         
 


Described in November 1922 by Starr and Davis (Cactus and Succulent Journal 93(4):273-285 ) this plant had long been confused with agave tenuifolia but field studies revealed morphological differences which gave it separate status.
It grows in Nuevo Leon and Taumalipas. There are also strong similarities with agave striata. Subgenus Littaea and Striatae group.




Described by  Vázquez,  Nuño &  Campos in 2023. The plant is endemic to Cabo Corrientes, Ixtlahuahuey in Jalisco. Group Filiferae.
Agave schidigera in the last few years has been considered a subspecies of agave filifera alongside agave multifilifera. In September 2021 Vazquez and Rosales carried out a revision of the schidigera complex , a huge variety in the complex noted by Vazquez-Garcia rt al 2007. A new paper from Vasquez-Garcia et al. from August 2023 (Bol. Nakari 2023, 34(1): 1-30 ) suggests that cualensis, marcelinoi and sororum are distinct entities and elevated to species level, based on morphological differences from schidigera . 



From Sierra El Doctor, part of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Queretaro, Mexico. Described by Hernandez-Sandoval and Magallan-Hernandez in 2014; it comes within the  subgenus Littaea and the Marginatae group and is related
 to agave glomeruliflora and agave montium sancticaroli. It has some use locally in the production of aguamiel and pulque.



Described by  Hernandez-Vera,  Vazquez-Garcia , Padilla-Lepe & Nieves-Hernandez in 2019 (Phytotaxa 422 (2): 273–288) this species is endemic to the Chorros del Varal State Reserve, at the southern border of the states of 
Jalisco and Michoacán, México. It belongs to the subgenus Littaea and to the Marginatae  group and is morphologically similar to agave angustiarum and agave impressa.


Newly described in 2019 by Garcia-Mendoza & D. Sandoval in Acta Botanica Mexicana 126: e1461  |  2019  |  10.21829/abm126.2019.1461
This plant belongs to subgenus Littaea and the Choripetalae group. It is solitary with ovate, glaucous leaves with straight margins. Very closely related to agave guiengola. Found in Oaxaca in the district of Tlaxiaco.



(photo UNAM)
Discovered in 2004 and subsequently described by Chazaro-Basanez and Jimeno-Sevilla. It is found in a small area near Cordoba in the state of Veracruz in Mexico. Although abundant in the locality it has a very restricted geographical distribution. It belongs to the subgenus Littaea and the Polycephalae group. It's closest relative is agave pendula.
 
 
From Queretaro and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Described in 2013 by Galvan and Zamudio. Belongs to the subgenus Littaea and the Striatae group and is related to agave dasylirioides (now dealbata), agave petrophylla and agave rzedowskiana
 
 
Vazquez-Garcia, J&M Kristen and Rosales-Martinez (Phytotaxa 564(2):208-220 in September 2022) describe this new species from Choritepalae group in subgenus Littaea. it is morphologically similar to but larger than
agave gypsicola
 
Described in 2013 by Chazaro-Basanez and Vazquez-Garcia (Phytotaxa 134(1): 55-57, ills., 2013) this plant was found in Totonacapan, Veracruz. Belonging to the subgenus Littaea and the Polycephalae group it is closely related to agave gomez pompae, but differs mainly being smaller.
 
Newly described by Garcia-Mendoza and Chavez-Rendon (2013) this species is from from Oaxaca and very closely related to agave dasylirioides (dealbata) . Subgenus Littaea and the Striatae group.
 
 
One of the newly named species following the revision of the taxonomic status of agave gypsophila belonging to the subgenus Agave and the Marmoratae group. (Vazquez-Garcia & Chazaro-Basanez 2013). Found in Michoacan.
 
 
Newly named species by Garcia-Morales, García-Jiménez & Iamonico in Novon, A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature Vol. 27 nr. 4 (2019). Found in Taumalipas, north eastern Mexico and morphologically similar to agave tenuifolia & agave striata. Subgenus Littaea and the Striatae group.
 
Newly described in 2019 by Garcia-Mendoza & S.Franco in Acta Botanica Mexicana 126: e1461 | 2019 | 10.21829/abm126.2019.1461
Belongs to subgenus Agave and the Ditepalae group. It is found In Oaxaca and Puebla, in the Valley of Tehuacan. It is related to agave palmeri but smaller,solitary and with an open rosette. It is found in the vicinity of agave karwinskii, kerchovei, marmorata and potatorum and known to be used in the production of mezcal.
 
(photo UNAM)
 
A new species from western Mexico is described by Cuevas Guzmán, Santana-Michel, and Balcazar-Medina in Brittonia 64(3):330-335, 2012.
It is an endemic species from the high altitude mountains of the Sierra de Manantlán in western Mexico, only found at high elevations between 2640 to 2865 m on near vertical cliffs with constant fog during the rainy season.
The species belongs to the subgenus Littaea and the Amolae group but according to post Gentry classifications to the Serrulatae group ( alongside attenuata, chrysoglossa, gilberti, nizandensis, ocahui, pedunculifera, vasquezgarciae & vilmoriniana).
 
(collection of Jos van Roosbroeck)
 
Photos by kind permission of Jeremy Spath ©
 
Described by Vázquez & Padilla Lepe in 2023. The plant is endemic to .El Diente, Sierra de San Esteban, Zapopan, Jalisco. Subgenus Littaea and the Group Filiferae.
Agave schidigera in the last few years has been considered a subspecies of agave filifera alongside agave multifilifera. In September 2021 Vazquez and Rosales carried out a revision of the schidigera complex , a huge variety in the complex noted by Vazquez-Garcia rt al 2007. A new paper from Vasquez-Garcia et al. from August 2023 (Bol. Nakari 2023, 34(1): 1-30 ) suggests that cualensis, marcelinoi and sororum are distinct entities and elevated to species level, based on morphological differences from schidigera .
A newly described species by Arzaba-Villalba, Chazaro-Basanez & Viveros-Colorado in Phytotaxa 360 (3): 263–268 ; 2018.
It belongs to the subgenus Littaea and Polycephalae group. This new species comes from the Sierra de Monte de Oro, relatively low mountains near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico ; it occurs on a volcanic substrate in the tropical oak forest of the coastal plain of Veracruz in eastern Mexico. It is very similar to agave pendula with similar but shorter lanceolate to oblong leaves with a central yellow stripe. The shorter leaves have a continuous reddish margins ,larger teeth and a thicker terminal spine. The flower stem and flowers are also smaller in measurements.
 
           
Magnolia Press 2018 ©
 
A new species in the subgenus Littaea and Amolae group [ section Inermes] endemic to the state of Jalisco. Described by Vazquez-Garcia et al. November 2022 . Agave martaelenae is similar to agave pedunculifera but sufficient morphological differences described enable it to be treated as a separate species.
 
Newly described species by Vazquez-Garcia ( Phytotaxa 616(1):99-106 ;November 2023) . Agave mayo is endemic to the Sierra de Barobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico. This species shares morphological characteristics with A. schidigera but
enough differences are described to enable it to be treated as a distinct species. Sugenus Littaea and the Filiferae group.
 
Newly described in 2019 by Garcia-Mendoza & Sandoval in Acta Botanica Mexicana 126: e1461 | 2019 | 10.21829/abm126.2019.1461
Belongs to subgenus Littaea and the Marginatae group. Found in Oaxaca, Silacayoapam district, plus Puebla and Guerrero. Very close to agave xylonacantha, is solitary in an open rosette with long leaves with a central band.
 
(photo UNAM)
 
A new species described by Garcia-Mendoza, Jacques-Hernandez and Salazar Bravo in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 1 (1):79-84 ;2007.
It was found in 2003-04 in the Sierra de San Carlos region, Taumalipas in Mexico. It belongs to the Marginatae group of the subgenus Littaea and is similar to agave X glomeruliflora (Berger) but is generally a larger plant than X glomeruliflora with larger and more numerous leaves.
 
................
 
Newly described in April 2020 by Zamudio and Gutierrez ( Brittonia, DOI 10.1007/s12228-020-09613-0\0). Belongs to the Choritepalae group in subgenus Littaea. It is found only in a small area in Queretaro.The stand out feature is the inflorescence which is large and covered in purple bracts and purple flowers.
 
           
 
A new species from Oaxaca described by Garcia-Mendoza in Acta Botanica Mexicana 91:71-93 (2010). Subgenus Agave and the Hiemiflorae group. This is accompanied by a revision of the potatorum complex in the Hiemiflorae group. The habitat is alongside agave potatorum and seemanniana in the mountains of Mixteca Alta in Oaxaca, potatorum extending northwards into Puebla. Gentry had described agave seemanniana as growing in Chiapas and extending southwards into Guatemala,Nicaragua and Honduras. The plants growing in Oaxaca now considered by Garcia-Mendoza to be agave seemanniana had been assigned by Gentry as agave potatorum,emphasising how closely related they are.
The new species differs from agave potatorum in the shape of the inflorescence and minor leaf differences. Agave nussaviorum coexists with A.convallis(?kerchovei); A.atrovirens; A.salmiana and A. angustifolia.
 
 
The above notes apply also to v. deltoidea, which is distinguished by the larger deltoid shaped leaves. It's habitat is also different, being at a higher altitude and consisting mainly of volcanic rock.
 
           
Jos van Roosbroeck collection                  

 
Described by Starr & Davis in 2019 (Cactus and Succulent Journal of America  Volume 91 Number 2 ) as a new species separate from agave titanota. Subgenus Littaea and the Marginatae group. 
Originally seeds of this plant were collected in Sierra Mixteca in 1984 by Felipe Otero and sold as agave FO-076 (or agave sp. Sierra Mixteca and agave sp.Nr.1). Some years later seeds of agave titanota became available and it was stated 
that these FO-076 were all forms of the same plant i.e. titanota. Field trips to habitat by Starr and Davis showed that although titanota and FO-076 were related there were enough morphological and geographical differences to  describe 
FO-076 as a separate species. it is related to agave kerchovei and agave quiotepecensis.
A new species of agave has been described in SIDA Vol 20 ( 2 ) pages 495-499 in November 2002. The authors are Greg Starr and Jose Villareal.
The plant originates from the Sierra de Lampazos in northern Nuevo Leon. It belongs to the subgenus Agave and the Parryanae group. It is related to A. havardiana and A. parrasana.
It is considered that this plant is the same as collected and distributed previously by Mrs Anna Nickels as A. noah, which was never properly described or published but Trelease in 1911 treated it as a synomym of A. wislizenii. A.wislizenii in turn was originally considered synonymous with A. parrasana but subsequently Ullrich in 1992 argued that it was actually a form of A. parryi.
Description: Agave ovatifolia is solitary (non-offsetting) with a hemispherical rosette reaching anywhere from 2-5 feet tall by 3-6 feet across. When grown hard, the plant will stay on the smaller end while those grown with ample moisture will attain maximum size. The common name, Whale's Tongue comes from the short, wide, distinctively cupped leaf blade. Marginal teeth are small, and the dark grayish black terminal spine is about 1 inch long. The paniculate inflorescence is 10-14 feet tall and consists of several side branches, each densely clustered with large, greenish yellow flowers
Habitat and Distribution: Agave ovatifolia is found in the sierras in northeastern Mexico. It occurs at elevations from 3,700-7,000 feet.
 
© 2003 Greg Starr
 
One of the newly named species following the revision of the taxonomic status of agave gypsophila belonging to the subgenus Littaea and the Marmoratae group. (Vasquez-Garciae, Muniz & Padilla-Lepe 2013). Found in Colima.
 
 
A new subspecies of agave parviflora is described by Starr & van Devender in Cactus and Succulent Journal, 83(5):224-231. 2011, published by Cactus and Succulent Society of America. it is distinguished from subspecies parviflora & flexiflora by a larger leaf size and more densly crowded flower stalk. It was found growing east of Yecora in south eastern Sonora. Subgenus Littaea and the Parviflorae group.
 
© 2011 Greg Starr & Tom Van Devender
 
Newly described form of agave victoriae reginae from the region of south east Durango ( Acta Botanica Mexicana 95: 65-94 (2011) ). Subgenus Littaea and the Marginatae group.
 
In the new article by Gonzales Elizondo et al. in 2011 agave victoriae reginae is newly reclassified as follows:
1. victoriae reginae ssp. victoriae-reginae (western Nuevo León and eastern extreme of Coahuila
2. victoriae reginae ssp. swobodae (southern Coahuila and northeastern Durango)
3. nickelsiae (microendemic to southeastern Coahuila) ; replaces fernandi-regis
4. pintilla (the most westernly distributed species in the group, restricted to southeastern Durango).
 
Newly described in 2019 by Garcia-Mendoza & S. Franco in Acta Botanica Mexicana 126: e1461 | 2019 | 10.21829/abm126.2019.1461
Belongs to subgenus Littaea and the Marginatae group. Found in Oaxaca, Cuicatlan district and very closely related to Gentry's agave titanota , the newly named agave oteroi and agave kerchovei .
Grows with agave karwinskii as a solitary plant with long. lanceolate leaves straight margins and variable teeth, some interstitial.
 
(photo UNAM)
 
A paper from Vazquez-Garcia, Etter, Kristen & Thiede (Bot. sci , vol.100, n.3, pp.765-778. May 2022) studied the agave ellemeetiana complex ( Choritepalae group). This occurs as two distinct populations, ellemeetiana ssp. ellemeetiana found in central Veracruz and northern Oaxaca (original descriptions from cultivated European plants) and ellemeetiana ssp.subdentata. The latter is found in Putla District, Mixteca Alta in western Oaxaca. Studies of the flowers of agave ellemeetiana ssp. subdentata showed that these did not match those of agave ellemeetiana nor those of section. Choritepalae.The floral morphology of populations of agave ellemeetiana ssp. subdentata from western Oaxaca places this species in the Inermes group, and the set of morphological differences is sufficient to recognize it as a distinct species.
The populations from the Putla District are sufficiently distinct in their morphology and ecology to merit recognition as a new species, agave rosalesii, placed in the. Inermes grouping.
 
 
A new species of agave is described in Brittonia: vol 55, no 3, pp. 240-244 ( 2003 ). The authors are Pablo Carrillo-Reyes and Raymundo Ramirez-Delgadillo from the University of Guadalajara and Rito Alvina from the University of Sinaloa. The species belongs to the Striatae group of the subgenus Littaea and comes from Jalisco and Sinaloa in western Mexico. It is related to agave dasylirioides and agave petrophila.
 
   
Habitat pictures from Jalisco, México
These photos are by courtesy of and strictly the property of Pablo Carrillo-Reyes


Described in 2022 by Starr,Davis and Juarez (Cactus and Succulent Journal of America Volume 94 Number 3) this species is placed in the new section Micracanthae ( corresponding to subgenus Littaea and the  Polycephalae group). 
Found in municipality of Tepelmeme,  District of Coixtlahuaca, Oaxaca. Related to agave mitis and agave chiapensis.



Described by Wendy C. Hodgson, Andrew M. Salywon and William H. Doelle in Systematic Botany, 43(3):734-740 published by The American Society of Plant Taxonomists (2018).
Found in a few sites along the San Pedro river, it has grey-green leaves with thick bases and conspicous bud printing. It appears to be sterile.
This plant has similarities to ag. phillipsiana and ag. palmeri. It is considered as a crop plant grown by the Hohokam, ancient inhabitants of Arizona between 300-1450. Agave delamateri and murpheyi 
were identified as growing in ancient agricultural fields alongside a third 'mystery' plant, now identified and named as sanpedroensis, a domesticated crop. Hochstatter in 2015 created a new grouping of Hodgsoniae to cover all 
the possible cultivated plants of the pre Columbian era in Arizona. This grouping seems to correspond to Gentry's Ditepalae grouping. Subgenus Agave.
     
                                                                                 Photo from Ron Parker
A new species  (subgenus Littaea ,  Amolae group) endemic to the state of Jalisco. Described by Vazquez-Garcia et al. November 2022 . Similar to agave martaelenae ( newly described) and agave pedunculifera.
Described by Vazquez and Chazaro in 2023 (Bol. Nakari  34(1): 1-3). Found in Durango. Subgenus Littaea and the Group Filiferae.
Part of the revision of the agave schidigera complex by Vasquez-Garcia et al. from August 2023.
First collected by Vazquez-Garcia & Chazaro-Basanez in 2010 this new species was found in the municipalities of Mexticacan and Canadas de Obregon in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, western Mexico. The area is close to the Rio Verde and threatened by the El Zapotillo dam project. It's flowering features place it in the section Ditepalae and there are morphological similarities with agave wocomahi and agave durangensis. Subgenus Agave, Ditepalae group.
A new species from northeastern Baja California described by R.H.Webb and J.M.Salazar-Ceseña in Brittonia, v. 63 ( 203-210); 2011.
This solitary species is placed in the subgenus Agave and the group Conicae and it's closest relatives appear to be agave moranii and agave desertii v. simplex.
It has a very restricted habitat on monzogranite and adjacent colluvial slopes in the Sierras Cucapá and El Mayor.
 
A large,robust new species has been described in 2004 by Miguel Chazaro-Basanez and J. Antonio Vazquez-Garcia from the University of Guadalajara and Yalma Luisa Vargas-Rodriguez of Louisiana State University. The plant is solitary, non suckering with dark green cross banded leaves. It is endemic to western Jalisco and has been placed in the Marmoratae group of subgenus Agave. It's closest relative is Agave marmorata.
It's local name is maguey relisero and it is used in the manufacture of a type of mescal called raicilla ( also known as ximat ), which is an alcoholic tequila like beverage manufactured mainly from Agave maximiliana in the rural highlands of western Mexico. It was the examination of wild populations of this maguey relisero that led to the realisation that these plants were not identifiable with any currently known species.
 
( from the Jos van Roosbroeck collection )
 
This new species was discovered and presented as such in 2002 by Miguel Chazaro-Basanez and Oscar Valencia Pelayo from the University of Guadalajara. It would appear that this plant had previously been wrongly identified as Agave pedunculifera by a number of various authors.
This non suckering species is found only on the northern slopes of Sierra Manantlan in southern Jalisco,western Mexico. It belongs to the Amolae group of subgenus Littaea. It's closest relative is Agave pedunculifera from which it differs in having larger, firmer leaves, a larger terminal spine plus larger flower spikes and flower parts.
 
( from the Jos van Roosbroeck collection )
 
Until recently agave vestita was a synonym of agave schidigera, itself in the last few years considered a subspecies of agave filifera alongside agave multifilifera. A new paper from Vasquez-Garcia et al. from August 2023 suggests that vestita is a distinct entity and elevated to species level, based on morphological differences. The schidigera complex is further split withe the addition of three new species,all based on morphological differences. These are
agave cualensis, agave marcelinoi and agave sororum. Subgenus Littaea and the Filiferae group.
 
 
Newly described by Hodgson & Salywon in 2013. Found in central Arizona,close to archeological sites, suggesting it could be a 'domesticate' or clone thereof. No close relatives, but some characteristics of ag. delamateri, chrysantha and shrevei. It has been provisionally placed in Ditepalae group of subgenus Agave.
 
(courtesy of Ron Parker)
 
Newly described by Hodgson & Salywom in 2013. See notes for agave verdensis above as these apply also to this plant.
 
(courtesy of Ron Parker)