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*Furcraea Ventenat. Common name: Sisal.

Key to Furcraea

A genus of about 21 species, rosette shrubs, of tropical America.

ID notes: Characterized by their large, rosette-forming leaves that are typically long, stiff, and sword-shaped that can grow up to 3.3 m in length and with a sharp point. They can produce tall flowering stalks that can reach several meters in height, bearing small, white, star-shaped flowers arranged in loose panicles, but rarely produce capsules. Like Agave species, they are monocarpic, flowering only once then dying shortly thereafter.

References: Verhoek (1998) In Kubitzki (1998a); Verhoek (2002a) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002a). Show full citations.

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image of plantno rights reserved, uploaded by Stuart | Furcraea foetida source | Original Image ⭷
image of plantno rights reserved, uploaded by kbkash | Furcraea foetida source | Original Image ⭷

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