Agave

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/agave

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Agave L
2. What is an agave and why does it survive in deserts?An agave is a plant that lives in very dry places. It keeps water by opening its pores at night and having thick, waxy leaves that stop water from leaving.
3. How does an agave flower and what happens after?After many years, an agave grows a huge flower that can be over 9 meters tall. Once it flowers, the plant dies, leaving food for animals and a good place for new plants to grow.

Xerophyte: A plant adapted to survive in extremely dry conditions, such as deserts.
CAM Photosynthesis: A metabolic pathway in plants that allows them to fix carbon dioxide at night to reduce water loss during hot days.
Monocarpic: A plant that flowers and fruits only once in its lifetime, typically after a long vegetative period, before dying.
Quiote: The large, often spectacular flower stalk produced by many agave species during their single reproductive event.