Appearance
''Furcraea foetida'' is an monocarpic-perennial subshrub, closely related to the North American Agave and Yucca genera. The plants are generally stemless; larger, more mature specimens may develop a short, trunk-like stem over time, growing approximately one meter 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 to a sharp spine tip at the apex. The leaves emerge one-by-one, almost in a “rosette” formation from the ground, one leaf unfurling at a time. Leaf margins are entirely smooth in some varieties, or edged with hooked spines in others. 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. As with other monocarpic plants, the flowering section dies-back after blooming and setting seed, normally leaving behind young plants , which emerge from the roots and from the rhizome, surrounding the bottom of the main “mother” plant.;Cultivation
The plant is cultivated in subtropical and tropical regions as a fiber and textile product, and as an ornamental plant for appropriate gardens. Its leaves are mainly used to produce a natural fiber similar to sisal, with large plantations dedicated to its cultivation in East Africa.
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