Common Name:

General Information

Dasylirion serratifolium is an evergreen, succulent perennial plant often stemless when young but with age developing a trunk up to 2 metres long upon which there is a dense rosette of arching leaves that can each be around 70 - 100cm long and 20 - 30mm wide. The plant usually flowers annually, producing a flowering stem that can be around 2 - 4 metres long[].
The plant is one of several species in the genus that are used to produce the alcoholic beverage 'sotol'[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southen N. America - southern Mexico (Oaxaca)

Habitat

Open rocky areas, xerophilic scrub and oak woodland, particularly in hills of calcareous and volcanic origin; at elevations from 1,300 - 2,700 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

The spongy interior of the trunks, as well as the leaf bases, is rich in sugars and has been found to be an excellent food, especially in time of need. The plants were formerly much used for food by native peoples in the arid regions where they grow, and are still so used to some extent[].
The leaves are trimmed off the plant and the remaining head is roasted or boiled. The sweet pith and the leaf bases can then be eaten[]. Traditionally, the heads were often baked for about 24 hours in pits dug in the ground[].
Once roasted, the trunks can then be fermented and distilled in order to obtain a highly esteemed intoxicating drink known as ‘sotol’, which is a potent, colourless beverage of penetrating odour and peculiar taste[]. The alcohol has been extracted from the plants upon a commercial scale[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

We have no specific information for this species, the following notes are general to the genus.

The tough leaves contain a fibre suitable for making rough cordage. This fibre also seems to be suitable for the manufacture of paper[].
The leaves are often used in weaving, for making baskets, rough hats, mats, handicrafts etc.[].
The leaves are also much used for thatching[].

When one of the plants, covered with the dead leaves, is set on fire it will burn for some time, and the burned stumps are a familiar sight in regions where the plants occur. The leaf bases remaining on such burned plants, when removed from the trunk, make very satisfactory beds upon camping expeditions, for they are elastic and not uncomfortably hard[].

The trunks are used frequently in constructing traditional houses[].
The trunks are used for fuel[].

Propagation

Seed -

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