Furcraea selloa
K.Koch
Asparagaceae
Furcraea flavoviridis Hook.
Furcraea lindenii Jacobi
Common Name: Maguey
Plant growing at the Jardin botanique, Barcelona
Photograph by: Dinkum
Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
Plant growing at the Jardin botanique, Barcelona
Photograph by: Dinkum
Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
The form 'Marginata' is grown as an ornamental
Photograph by: Bachelot Pierre J-P
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0
Plant growing at San Diego Botanical Gardens
Photograph by: Dick Culbert
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
General Information
Furcraea selloa is a succulent, evergreen, perennial plant producing a rosette of leaves about 120cm long from a short woody trunk that 10 - 12cm in diameter[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for the fibre obtained from its leaves. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, particularly in its variegated form.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Northern S. America - Colombia and Ecuador.
Habitat
; at elevations from 900 - 1,300 metres.
Properties
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 1.20 m |
| Cultivation Status | Ornamental, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Requires a well-drained soil and a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants are monocarpic - they live for a number of years without flowering, then put all their energy into flowering and die afterwards[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
The leaves are a source of an excellent fibre[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is possible that this report should actually refer to Furcraea samalana instead of this species[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Propagation
Seed - rarely produced[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants frequently produce large numbers of bulbils, which root and grow into new plants when they fall to the ground[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. These bulbils have the capacity to remain viable for a number of years, even in unfavourable conditions[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
