The Dasylirion genus, polycarpic perennials, have an erect or sloping trunk. The leaves, which are persistent and abundant, form a rosette at the end of the trunk; they are linear, fibrous, green, the apex often fibrous and the margins with spaced recurved teeth. They are native in the arid and mountainous regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Sotol,a Mexican spirit drink, is obtained from the roasted , then fermented and later distilled trunk. The leaves are used in making baskets, mats, hats, etc., and their fibers are used in cordage. Dasylirum longissimum, whose abundant leaves form a very symmetrical globular crown, blends well with modern architecture.