Furcraea foetida seed
LATIN NAME: Furcraea foetida
COMMON NAME: Mauritius Hemp
The Mauritius hemp stands the bold, sword-shaped leaves in the great, spiny rosettes, the tall spike of the greenish-white flowers rising from the middle, and the whole plant carries the fine, bold look of the dry hillside. The hardy, evergreen, rosette-forming herb carries the large, stiff, sword-shaped, grey-green leaves with the hooked spines along the margins in the great rosettes, and the many small, greenish-white flowers in the tall, branched, candelabra-like panicle through the late summer, one of the bold, quiet sights of the dry hillside, drawing the bees, to be followed by the many flat, black seeds. The long, strong fibres of the leaves have a very long record as the fine, strong fibre of the dry lands, and the plant is a historic presence of the dry hillside. It is a plant of the open, sunny, light, sandy, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Mauritius hemp is a historic subject of the plant science, and the long fibres keep showing up in the work on the fibre plants of the dry lands. The way the long, strong fibres of the sword-shaped leaves form the fine, tough yarn has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the fibre plants, the rosette leaves and the members of the agave family. The strong fibres and the bold habit have also made it a fine study plant, and the Mauritius hemp is a regular subject of the work on the long fibres of the dry world.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The Mauritius hemp is a bold, useful plant of the dry hillside and the study collection. The large, stiff, sword-shaped, grey-green leaves with the hooked spines along the margins in the great rosettes carry the bold look of the dry hillside, one of the bold, quiet sights of the dry hillside, drawing the bees, and the long, strong fibres of the leaves have a very long record as the fine, strong fibre of the dry lands, the fine, long fibres coming to the strong cordage, the mats and the steady textiles of the old lands, while the many small, greenish-white flowers in the tall, branched, candelabra-like panicle open through the late summer, to be followed by the many flat, black seeds. It is one of the fine choices for the dry hillside, the bold border and the study collection, and it has been written about in the textile and the botanical papers for the long fibres and the very long history. It is grown for its fibre and its place in the old practice rather than for the table. It is a bold, useful plant of the open, sunny, light, sandy, well-drained garden.
The hemp seeds like a rich, gritty mix kept warm and dry between waterings. The young rosettes are slow but reliable, and they thrive in the light, well-drained ground of the sunny border.
To grow the Mauritius hemp from seed, sow the flat, black seeds directly onto the surface of the deep pot of rich, gritty soil, water gently, then keep the pot in a bright, warm spot. The seedlings show themselves within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. With the sun and the light, well-drained ground, the great rosettes will spread over the years.