Agave valenciana (Agavaceae), a gigantic new species from Jalisco, Mexico

Agave valenciana (Agavaceae), a new species from Jalisco, western Mexico, is described and illustrated. This species is endemic to a small section of the canyons of the Mascota and Talpa rivers. It belongs to the Agave subgenus Agave L. and to the Marmoratae species group. It appears to be closely related to A. marmorata Roezl from Puebla and Oaxaca. It differs from the latter in having a much larger rosette diameter, it has fewer but longer and wider leaves, much larger flowers, and it grows in less arid environments. This discovery has implications for "raicilla" production, an alcoholic tequila-like beverage traditionally manufactured in western Jalisco, Mexico