Agave karatto (Dagger log)

Agave karatto Miller

Dagger log, batta log, maguey, kabuya

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	karatto

About plant names...

”Dagger log,” also “batta log,” is native to the Windward Islands of the Caribbean West Indies, including Antigua and Barbuda; it is the national flower of both Antigua and Barbuda. They are not found in the wild elsewhere in North America. The common names refer to the use of the rigid flowering stalks to create fishing rafts. The white interior pulp of the leaves was also used for bait.

Identification: Rosettes are 8-10' (2.4-3 m) around. Leaves are dagger-like, medium green, up to 3' (1 m) long, with sharp tips and small teeth along the edges. The flowering spike is up to 18' (5.5 m) feet high, multiply branched near the top. Flowers are yellow. After flowering, numerous bulbils appear near the spent flowers, forming new plants which shortly drop to the ground (the baby plants are clearly visible in Photo 1).

Online References:

Agave karatto at the Huntington Botanical Gardens

Agave karatto on Desert-tropicals.com

Agave karatto at LifeDesks