Dasylirion durangense
Trel.
Sotol
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(c) chago_oem, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) FERNANDO QUIROZ, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) FERNANDO QUIROZ, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Summary
Source: WikipediaDasylirion durangense, common name "sotol," is a perennial plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Durango, Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico. It is closely related to D. wheeleri S. Wats. and considered a variety of that species by some authors. The plant has a large basal rosette of long stiff leaves over 1 m in length, bearing sharp, curved spines along the margins. The flowering stalk can be up to 3 m tall, bearing small wind-pollinated flowers. Some publications misspell the epithet as "duranguense" or "duranguensis." "Durangense" is correct.
Description
A herb. It has a large ring of leaves near the base.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The indigenous peoples of the Sierra Madre Occidental (Tarahumara, Pima Bajo, and Tepehuan) use the sweet immature flowering stalk to produce a distilled alcoholic beverage, also called sotol. They also strip the spines off the margins of the leaves and use the leaves to make baskets, holiday decorations and other items.
Traditional Uses
The young flowering stalks are used to brew beer.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Distribution
It is a tropical plant.
Where It Grows
Mexico,
Synonyms
References (2)
- Wikipedia
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
