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Sanseviera aethiopica
  • Bowstring Hemp

a perennial evergreen member of the Sanseviera genus in the family Agavaceae.

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • no shade
    No shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Acid to Alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Loamy
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • 10
    Zone 10
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Sanseviera aethiopica has 0 edible uses listed
Sanseviera aethiopica has 0 material uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

The rhizome is a source of water[1]. This is presumably of some use in the arid areas of its native range, but of rather limited benefit in Britain[K].

Unknown part

Drink

Material uses

A high quality fibre is obtained from the leaves. It is used for making sails and paper[2][3][4][5].

Unknown part

Fibre

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Sanseviera aethiopica.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - we have no information for this species but suggest sowing the seed in a warm greenhouse in April. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least a couple of years in a greenhouse before trying any of them outdoors.

Division of suckers as growth commences in the spring.

Leaf-cuttings, 7cm long placed in sand in a frame[2]. The leaf is cut into sections, the cut surfaces allowed to dry for a few hours, and the sections then placed in pots in a warm light frame, but with shelter from direct sunlight. Rooting and new growth should take place within a month.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Sanseviera aethiopica. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Requires a very sunny position in a very well-drained sandy gritty loam[3] and a pH between 6 and 7[6].

This species is not very frost hardy, though it can succeed outdoors in the mildest parts of the country if it is given a selected sunny position[3]. Plants must be kept dry after they have flowered[3].

There is a lot of confusion between this species, S. roxburghiana. Schult. from India and S. zeylanica. (L.)Willd. from Sri Lanka[6]. It is most likely that they all have similar uses, though none of them are likely to be very hardy in Britain.

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Sanseviera aethiopica. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Sanseviera aethiopica.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Sanseviera aethiopica
Genus
Sanseviera
Family
Agavaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1]
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
[2][3][4][5]
Botanic
[6]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
10
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
no shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
  • Drought
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Ecosystem Niche
None listed.
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
Life
Deciduous or Evergreen
evergreen
Herbaceous or Woody
?
Life Cycle
perennial
Growth Rate
?
Mature Size
0.6 x meters
Fertility
?
Pollinators
?
Flower Colour
?
Flower Type
hermaphrodite











References

  1. ? 1.01.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
  2. ? 2.02.12.2 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
  3. ? 3.03.13.23.33.4 Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. (1938-00-00)
  4. ? 4.04.1 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)
  5. ? 5.05.1 Schery. R. W. Plants for Man. ()
  6. ? 6.06.16.2 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)


Retrieved from "https://practicalplants.org/w/index.php?title=Sanseviera_aethiopica&oldid=80670"
Facts about "Sanseviera aethiopica"RDF feed
Article is incompleteYes +
Article requires citationsNo +
Article requires cleanupYes +
Belongs to familyAgavaceae +
Belongs to genusSanseviera +
Has binomial nameSanseviera aethiopica +
Has common nameBowstring Hemp +
Has drought toleranceTolerant +
Has edible partUnknown part +
Has edible useDrink +
Has environmental toleranceDrought +
Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone10 +
Has lifecycle typePerennial +
Has material partUnknown part +
Has material useFibre +
Has mature height0.6 +
Has search namesanseviera aethiopica + and bowstring hemp +
Has shade toleranceNo shade +
Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil texture preferenceSandy + and Loamy +
Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
Has sun preferenceFull sun +
Has taxonomic rankSpecies +
Has taxonomy nameSanseviera aethiopica +
Has water requirementsmoderate +
Is deciduous or evergreenEvergreen +
Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
PFAF cultivation notes migratedNo +
PFAF edible use notes migratedNo +
PFAF material use notes migratedNo +
PFAF medicinal use notes migratedYes +
PFAF propagation notes migratedNo +
PFAF toxicity notes migratedYes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +
Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.Sanseviera aethiopica + and Sanseviera aethiopica +