Ixtle

Tuft of stiff fibers removed from a brush
Tuft of Ixtle fiber and metal staple from a brush

Ixtle, also known by the trade name Tampico fiber, is a stiff plant fiber obtained from a number of Mexican plants, chiefly species of Agave and Yucca.[1] The principal source is Agave lechuguilla, the dominant Agave species in the Chihuahuan Desert.[2] Ixtle is the common name (or part of the common name) of the plants producing the fiber.[3] Ixtle is also the common name of a species of bromeliad, Aechmea magdalenae, grown in southern Mexico for its silky fibers.[4]

Ixtle fiber is used as a substitute for animal bristles in the manufacture of brushes, cords, and lariats.[1] Wrapped with thread, parallel bundles of fiber were used as the boning in corsets.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Dewe04 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. (2002). "Agave lechuguilla". Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference TS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference StepWynd02 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).