Furcraea foetida (L.) Haw.
Vernacular name: Mauritius Hemp, Green Aloe, False Agave (Hindi: मॉरीशस सन)
Species Name: Furcraea foetida (L.) Haw.
Family: Asparagaceae (Agavoideae)
Habit: Perennial succulent shrub
Stem: Stem very short or absent; mature plants forming a rosette on a stout basal axis.
Leaf: Radical, rosulate, linear-lanceolate, 1–2.5 m × 8–15 cm, thick, fleshy, green to variegated, margins entire or nearly so, apex spiny.
Flowering: After several years of growth; monocarpic.
Flowers: Greenish-white to creamy-white, fragrant, borne in large terminal paniculate inflorescences 3–10 m tall; perianth 6-lobed, stamens 6, ovary inferior, tricarpellary.
Fruit: Oblong capsule, many-seeded; often replaced by numerous bulbils on the inflorescence.
Uses
- The leaves contain a gel that can be used to treat burns and other skin conditions.
- Cultivated as an ornamental plant for its bold rosettes and variegated forms.
- This plant is frequently planted for fencing, erosion control, and slope stabilization in tropical regions.
- Plant acts as a natural fire breaker due to its succulent.
- Its striking leaves are often used in decorative arrangement.
- Leaves yield a strong fibre used for ropes, cordage, mats, and coarse textiles.
- Leaves can also be used as natural soap and shampoo.
- Dried flower stems can be used as building poles.
- In traditional remedies, plant is used for the treatment of skin wounds, rheumatism and various digestive issues.
