MAGUEY

fibre obtained from the leaf of the plant Agave lurida, a member of the Amaryllidaccae family and native to Mexico. It is shorter and stiffer than henequen (q.v.), with physical properties similar to the hard leaf fibre cantala (q.v.), and is used for rope and cordage. In South America the name maguey is used for a variety of fibres as well as for the plants from which they are derived. A simple hard spindle known as a malacate is used to spin fairly fine yarn from the maguey and related hard fibres.