It has been proposed by Pei-Luen Lu1 & Clifford W. Morden( in Phylogenetic Relationships among Dracaenoid Genera (Asparagaceae: Nolinoideae) Inferred from Chloroplast DNA Loci, Systematic Botany (2014), 39(1): pp. 90-104, DOI 10.1600/036364414X678035), that the genus Sansevieria should be transferred to the genus Dracaena. This treatment has not yet been taken up universally and so, for the time being, we are leaving Sansevieria as distinct. The proposed new name in Dracaena can be seen below in the list of synonyms.

Common Name: African Bowstring Hemp

General Information

African bowstring hemp is a stemless evergreen perennial plant, producing succulent, erect, rigid leaves 15 - 85cm or more long and 25 - 80mm wide from a freely-spreading, rhizomatous rootstock[]. The leaves can be up to 1.2 metres long[]. The flowering stem grows 45 - 75cm or more tall[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for the fibre obtained from its leaves. This is used locally. The plant is cultivated as a fibre crop in some parts of the tropics, especially tropical America, and is also often grown as an ornamental[, ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Africa - Namibia to Kenya and Tanzania, south to S. Africa.

Habitat

Sandy or stony soils; usually under shade of trees and bushes; termite mounds; Combretum, Mopane woodland; at elevations from 50 - 1,050 metres[]. Dry karoo, bushveld or savannah, in well drained sandy or rocky soil.

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 15 - 36°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,400mm, but tolerates 500 - 2,000mm[].
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil[]. Succeeds in most soils[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].
The plant can spread freely at the roots. It is considered an invasive weed in Florida[].
Fibre yields of up to 2.25 tonnes per hectare per year have been recorded[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the rootstock is used as a treatment against internal parasites[].

The plant is used as a treatment for fevers, toothache, ear affections and haemorrhoids[].
The leaves contain steroidal compounds.[].

Other Uses

A good quality fibre is obtained from the leaves[, ]. An excellent, soft, silky and elastic fibre[]. It is used for making clothes, nets, string, mats and for the production of fine papers etc[, ].

Propagation

Seed -
Division of the rootstock.
Leaf cuttings. Cut the leaf into sections about 5cm long, place in a 2:1 mix of sand and peat in a propagating case with a bottom heat of 18°c[].

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