Indian Bowstring Hemp

Scientific Name: Sansevieria roxburghiana Schult. & Schult.f.

Synonyms: Acyntha roxburghiana (Schult. Schult.f.Kuntze, Cordyline roxburghiana (Schult. Schult.f.Merr.

Unique ID: 211

Systematic Position

Class: –

Sub Class:-                  

Series: –

Order: Asparagales

Family: Asparagaceae

Common Names

English – Indian bow string hemp

Tamil – Mottamanji

Hindi – Marul


Description: A stemless fleshy herb upto 70cm. Flower : In recemes on a stout scape; greenish, tinged purple. Flowering December-February and July-September.Fruit : A globose berry, indehiscent; seed(s) 1-3, globose, fleshy. Fruiting throughout the year. Rootstock short, often stoloniferous or a creeping rhizome. Leaves deeply concave, channelled, green transversely marked with number of darker bars, edges often whitish when old.

Habitat:  Found on rocky slopes, scrub jungles and hedges from plains to 1400m

Distribution: Indian and Sri Lanka

Uses:  The fibre from the leaves used for various purposes. Fibre from the leaves used to make ropes for tying brooms and for other agricultural purposes.