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