campus as an ornamental plant, Belur Math, India.
Furcraea foetida is an
monocarpic-
perennial (to
evergreen)
subshrub, closely related to the North American
Agave and
Yucca genera. The plants are generally stemless; larger, more mature specimens may develop a short, trunk-like stem over time, growing approximately one meter (3 feet) tall. The
leaves (which are somewhat more pliable than those of the agaves) 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 to a sharp spine tip at the apex. The leaves emerge one-by-one, almost in a “rosette” formation from the ground, one leaf unfurling at a time. Leaf margins are entirely smooth in some varieties, or edged with hooked spines in others. 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. As with other monocarpic plants, the flowering section dies-back after blooming and setting seed, normally leaving behind young plants (or “pups”), which emerge from the roots and from the
rhizome, surrounding the bottom of the main “mother” plant. ;Cultivation The plant is cultivated in subtropical and tropical regions as a fiber and textile product, and as an
ornamental plant for appropriate
gardens. Its leaves are mainly used to produce a
natural fiber similar to
sisal, with large plantations dedicated to its cultivation in
East Africa. ==References==