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Furcraea foetida

(L.) Haw. (1812)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Asparagaceae Genus: Furcraea

Mauritius hemp

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Acaulescent perennials.

Stems: Subterranean stems.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, spiraled. Blades lanceolate, rigid, straight or curved, up to 20–25 dm long, 1.4–2 dm wide. Apex with a short blunt spine. Base sessile. Surfaces bright green, blade foetid when bruised. Margins ± with a few widely spaced marginal prickles, especially toward base, these 4–10 mm long. Veins parallel. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences 6–12 m long, bulbils usually formed after flowering. Flowers bisexual (perfect), strongly fragrant. Tepals white to greenish white or pale yellowish green, 2.5–3.3 cm long, outer ones 1–1.4 cm wide, inner ones 1.4– 1.8 cm wide. Stamens 6; filaments with a spongy thickening near middle, inserted at base of tepals. Ovary inferior, 3-celled; ovules numerous per cell; style filiform to subulate; stigma small.

Fruit: Capsules cylindrical; with loculicidal dehiscience. Seeds black; flat.

Ploidy: 2n = 18; 34; 60

Habitat: Naturalized and often locally abundant in dry to mesic; disturbed sites on slopes; rocky ledges; and in pastures.

Elevation Range: 0–615 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Syn. Pl. Succ.: 78 (1812)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1350 (K, O, Mo, L, M, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:578 (KEY), 586 (DESCR); Starr & Starr 2011:23 (Ka)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Furcraea foetida Waianae Mountains, Waianae Kai.; Puu Kalena Persisting by road. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12976 Oahu BISH 1933-03-12
2 Furcraea foetida Waianae Mountains, Waianae Kai.; Puu Kalena Persisting by road. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12976 Oahu BISH 1933-03-12
3 Furcraea foetida Kalaupapa; Kauhako crater, SW zone Preserved_Specimen acaulescent perennial Wysong, M.L. 506 Molokai BISH 2004-12-07
4 Furcraea foetida Keawanui Bay, rocky coast along windward side of the island Gigantic agavoid plants very common on steep slopes around bay. Preserved_Specimen Gigantic agavoid plants very common producing flowers and also bulbils produced at base of pedicels; tepals yellowish-green, ca. 3 cm long; inflorescence branched 2 times. Wagner, W.L. 5713 Molokai BISH 1987-07-30
5 Furcraea foetida Lower Waahila ridge along dirtbike trails. Full sun dry ridgetop, abundant on ridge. Associated; Megathyrsus maximus, Leucaena leucocephala. Preserved_Specimen Mature inflorescense, abundantly producing plantlets. Inflorescence 4 m tall, leaves up to 15 cm wide, succulent. Arthur, K. 58 Oahu BISH 2025-02-14
6 Furcraea foetida Honolulu: Manoa Valley; Lyon Arboretum, ML Makai. L-76.541 Preserved_Specimen Trunkless; flowering spike to 15 feet height; flowers pale greenish-yellow, nocturnally fragrant; leaves dark green, acute to 50 inches length, very rarely armed at margins, unarmed at tips; broadly V-shaped, stiff. Nagata, K.M. 1476 Oahu BISH 1977-09-20
7 Furcraea foetida Kawaihapai Preserved_Specimen Leaves 1.5 m. long, green; infl 6 m. tall with both flowers and bulbils on same branch. Fosberg, F.R. 8944 Oahu BISH 1932-12-11
8 Furcraea foetida Maunahui, Kaunakakai Along road. Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12641 Molokai BISH 1932-12-26
9 Furcraea foetida Honolulu: Manoa Valley; Lyon Arboretum, ML Makai. L-76.541 Preserved_Specimen Trunkless; flowering spike to 15 feet height; flowers pale greenish-yellow, nocturnally fragrant; leaves dark green, acute to 50 inches length, very rarely armed at margins, unarmed at tips; broadly V-shaped, stiff. Nagata, K.M. 1476 Oahu BISH 1977-09-20
10 Furcraea foetida Honolulu: Wailupe Valley Preserved_Specimen Leaves sharp-pointed; inflorescence 6-8' high. Kerr, M. Oahu BISH 1946-11-11
11 Furcraea foetida Koolau Mountains: Kipapa Gulch; Along stream bank Preserved_Specimen Hosaka, E.Y. 823 Oahu BISH 1932-10-30
12 Furcraea foetida Halawa Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 12668 Molokai BISH 1932-12-27
13 Furcraea foetida [Hawaiian Islands; U.S.A.; O`ahu; Hawai`i; Honolulu] Preserved_Specimen Kerr, M. Oahu BISH 1946-01-01
14 Furcraea foetida Okoe On open `a`a lava, escaped. Preserved_Specimen Rosette of leaves and tall flower stalk, 4 meters high; flower yellow-green. Bryan Jr., E.H. 760 Hawaii BISH 1932-11-26
15 Furcraea foetida W Maui, S of Napili Honokowai, N of Kahana Stream Disturbed area next to pineapple field. Preserved_Specimen Annable, C.R. 3885 Maui BISH 1999-01-14
16 Furcraea foetida Off Kuheia Rd. Spreading from patch ~50 cm on side; Leucaena leucocephala, Heteropogon contortus, Prosopis pallida Preserved_Specimen Starr, F. 8021002 Kahoolawe BISH 2008-02-10
17 Furcraea foetida Mapulehu Valley Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 600 Molokai BISH 1912-09-01
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