Mauritius Hemp
Scientific Name: | Furcraea foetida (L.) Haw. | |
Synonyms: | Agave bulbosa W.Bull , Aloe foetida (L.) Crantz | |
Systematic Position | ||
Class: | Monocotyledonae | |
Order: | Asparagales | |
Family: | Asparagaceae Liliaceae | |
Common Names | ||
English: | Mauritius Hemp | |
Tamil: | Pachai Kathazhai |
Description: Furcraea foetida is an evergreen perennial subshrub, stemless or with a short stem up to 1 m tall. The leaves are sword-shaped, 1-1.8 m long and 10–15 cm broad at their widest point, narrowing to 6–7 cm broad at the leaf base, and to a sharp spine tip at the apex; the margins are entire or with a few hooked spines. The flowers are greenish to creamy white, 4 cm long, and strongly scented; they are produced on a large inflorescence up to 7.5 m tall.
Habitat: It is widely cultivated and reportedly naturalized in many places
Distribution: native to the Caribbean and northern South America
Uses: Ornamental