Agave shawii subsp. goldmaniana

Agave shawii is a species of monocarpic succulent plant in the genus Agave, commonly known as Shaw's agave. It is a rosette-forming plant characterized by glossy, green leaves with toothed margins. After several years of slow growth, the plant puts all of its resources to produce a towering stalk of flowers, and then dies. The death of the flowering rosette is compensated by the growth of numerous clonal pups. This species is segregated into two subspecies, one native to the coast of southwestern California and northwestern Baja California, known commonly as the coast agave, and another native to the Baja California desert, known as the Goldman agave. For centuries, this species proved to be an invaluable source of accessible and abundant food for the indigenous peoples in the region, like the Kumeyaay, Tiipai and Paipai. After the European colonization of the Americas, the Spanish missionaries discouraged use of the agave, and moved the native peoples inland. Further development of the agave's habitat by American settlers contributed to the dwindling population of the species. Only two small populations are left within the political boundaries of the United States, one with only a single individual. In Mexico, it is still abundant but threatened by coastal development. Subspecies shawii is designated as an endangered species by the California Native Plant Society and the IUCN. The plant is named for Henry Shaw, the founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden.