Furcraea is a genus of succulent plants belonging to the family Asparagaceae, native to tropical regions of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. Some species are also naturalized in parts of Africa, the United States (Florida), Portugal, Thailand, India, and Australia, as well as on various oceanic islands.García-Mendoza, A. 2000. Revisión taxonómica de las especies arborescentes de Furcraea (Agavaceae) en México y Guatemala. Bol. Soc. Bot. México 66: 113–129 Plants of this genus are the origin of fique or cabuyo, a natural fiber.
Species
Image Scientific name Distribution Furcraea abisaii Gir.-Cañas Furcraea acaulis (Kunth) B.Ullrich Venezuela Furcraea andina Trel. Peru, Ecuador Furcraea antillana A.Álvarez Cuba, Hispaniola Furcraea boliviensis Ravenna Bolivia Furcraea cabuya Trel. tropical Mexico, Central America, Venezuela Furcraea depauperata Jacobi Mexico but apparently extinct Furcraea flavoviridis Hook. Furcraea foetida (L.) Haw.(Mauritius Hemp) southern Caribbean; widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere Furcraea guatemalensis Trel. southern Mexico, Central AmericaFurcraea guerrerensis Matuda Guerrero Furcraea hexapetala (Jacq.) Urb.(Cuban Hemp) southern Mexico, West Indies, Venezuela, Ecuador, Galápagos Furcraea longaeva Karw. & Zucc. Puebla, Oaxaca Furcraea macdougallii Matuda Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas Furcraea martinezii García-Mend. & L.de la Rosa Guerrero Furcraea niquivilensis Matuda ex García-Mend. Chiapas Furcraea occidentalis Trel. Peru Furcraea parmentieri (Roezl) García-Mend. southern Mexico Furcraea pubescens Tod. Furcraea quicheensis Trel. Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras Furcraea samalana Trel. Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador Furcraea selloa K.Koch(Wild Sisal) Colombia, Ecuador; naturalized in Tamaulipas, Florida, Andaman Islands, India, Queensland Furcraea stratiotes Petersen Nicaragua Furcraea stricta Jacobi Trinidad, Colombia, Brazil Furcraea tuberosa (Mill.) W.T.Aiton(Female Karata) West Indies; naturalized in South Africa Furcraea undulata Jacobi tropical Mexico, El Salvador
See also Fique
References