Chlorophytum (,Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607), colloquially referred to as the spider plants, is a genus of almost 200 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the Agavoideae within the family Asparagaceae. The plants are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Australia, and Asia.Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 205 吊兰属 diao lan shu Chlorophytum Ker Gawler, Bot. Mag. 27: t. 1071. 1807. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Red List of South African Plants, search for ChlorophytumAtlas of Living Australia, Chlorophytum
Depending on species, most Chlorophytum mature at about 10–60 cm (3"-12") in height, growing out from a central rosette of long, slender leaves of around 15–75 cm (5"-29") in length. The plants tend to have thick, fleshy, tuberous roots, about 0.5-2 cm (0.17"-0.75") thick. The flowers are small and usually white, produced on sparse panicles up to 120 cm (47") long.
In certain species, such as C. comosum (the ubiquitous 'spider plant'), the plants are known to reproduce vegetatively by producing plantlets—baby plants connected by an "umbilical" stem, sprouting from the side of the main mother-plant. On the ground, or in a wild setting, this vegetative growth habit enables vast swathes of the plant to colonize a single area, as the plantlets develop small roots to eventually anchor into the soil and spread the mass further. In a home or garden setting, these plants are often grown in hanging pots, on plant stands, high shelves or other elevated surfaces.
As the plant develops and throws off babies, or "pups", these may be optionally removed and propagated, either in a vessel of water for a time or directly planted into new substrate. Conversely, if the pups are allowed to remain connected to the mother plant and hang naturally, the appearance vaguely mimics spiders hanging by their silken thread—thus giving the plant the common moniker of "spider-plant". The plantlets will develop aerial roots when left attached to the mother plant, as a means of absorbing ambient humidity until they make contact with an organic substrate, or the ground.
Chlorophytum borivilianum is a native of India, where it is grown for use as a medicinal plant.
Species
, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: Chlorophytum acutum (C.H.Wright) Nordal Chlorophytum affine Baker Chlorophytum africanum (Baker) Engl. Chlorophytum alismifolium Baker Chlorophytum alpinum Benth. ex Baker Chlorophytum altum Engl. & K.Krause Chlorophytum anceps (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum andongense Baker Chlorophytum angulicaule (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum angustiracemosum Poelln. Chlorophytum angustissimum (Poelln.) Nordal Chlorophytum ankarense H.Perrier Chlorophytum appendiculatum H.Perrier Chlorophytum applanatum Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum arcuatoramosum R.B.Drumm. Chlorophytum aridum Oberm. Chlorophytum arundinaceum Baker Chlorophytum asperum J.C.Manning Chlorophytum assamicum D.Borah & A.P.Das Chlorophytum basitrichum Poelln. Chlorophytum baturense K.Krause Chlorophytum belgaumense Chandore, Malpure, Adsul & S.R.Yadav Chlorophytum benguellense (Baker) Meerts Chlorophytum benuense Engl. & K.Krause Chlorophytum bharuchae Ansari, Sundararagh. & Hemadri Chlorophytum bifolium Dammer Chlorophytum blepharophyllum Schweinf. ex Baker Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapau & R.R.Fern. Chlorophytum bowkeri Baker Chlorophytum brachystachyum Baker Chlorophytum bracteatum Hua Chlorophytum brevipedunculatum Poelln. Chlorophytum breviscapum Dalzell Chlorophytum bulbinifolium Hoell & Nordal Chlorophytum burundiense Meerts Chlorophytum calyptrocarpum (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum cameronii (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum camporum Engl. & K.Krause Chlorophytum capense (L.) Voss Chlorophytum caudatibracteatum Engl. & K.Krause Chlorophytum caulescens (Baker) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum chelindaense Kativu & Nordal Chlorophytum chevalieri Poelln. Chlorophytum chinense Bureau & Franch. Chlorophytum chloranthum Baker Chlorophytum clarae Bjorå & Nordal Chlorophytum collinum (Poelln.) Nordal Chlorophytum colubrinum (Baker) Engl. Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques Chlorophytum cooperi (Baker) Nordal Chlorophytum cordifolium De Wild. Chlorophytum crassinerve (Baker) Oberm. Chlorophytum cremnophilum van Jaarsv. Chlorophytum crispum (Thunb.) Baker Chlorophytum cyperaceum (Kies) Nordal Chlorophytum dalzielii (Hutch. ex Hepper) Nordal Chlorophytum debile Baker Chlorophytum decaryanum H.Perrier Chlorophytum decipiens Baker Chlorophytum delicatulum Osborne, Vollesen & Bjorå Chlorophytum dianellifolium (Baker) H.Perrier Chlorophytum distichum H.Perrier Chlorophytum diwanjii Mujaffar, A.P.Tiwari & Chandore Chlorophytum dolichocarpum Tamura Chlorophytum ducis-aprutii Chiov. Chlorophytum elgonense Bullock Chlorophytum fasciculatum (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum fernandesii (Poelln.) Meerts Chlorophytum filifolium Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum filipendulum Baker Chlorophytum fischeri (Baker) Baker Chlorophytum gallabatense Schweinf. ex Baker Chlorophytum galpinii (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum geayanum (H.Perrier) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum geophilum Peter ex Poelln. Chlorophytum glaucoides Blatt. Chlorophytum glaucum Dalzell Chlorophytum goetzei Engl. Chlorophytum gothanense Malpure & S.R.Yadav Chlorophytum gracile Baker Chlorophytum graminifolium (Willd.) Kunth Chlorophytum graniticola Kativu Chlorophytum graniticum H.Perrier Chlorophytum graptophyllum (Baker) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum haygarthii J.M.Wood & M.S.Evans Chlorophytum herrmannii Nordal & Sebsebe Chlorophytum heynei Baker Chlorophytum hiranense Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum hirsutum A.D.Poulsen & Nordal Chlorophytum holstii Engl. Chlorophytum humbertianum H.Perrier Chlorophytum humifusum Cufod. Chlorophytum hypoxiforme (H.Perrier) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum hysteranthum Kativu Chlorophytum immaculatum (Hepper) Nordal Chlorophytum inconspicuum (Baker) Nordal Chlorophytum indicum (Willd. ex Schult. & Schult.f.) Dress Chlorophytum inornatum Ker Gawl. Chlorophytum intermedium Craib Chlorophytum keiskammaense van Jaarsv., Hankey & Harrower Chlorophytum kolhapurense Sardesai, S.P.Gaikwad & S.R.Yadav Chlorophytum kolliense Soosairaj Chlorophytum krauseanum (Dinter) Kativu Chlorophytum krookianum Zahlbr. Chlorophytum lancifolium Welw. ex Baker Chlorophytum laxum R.Br. Chlorophytum leptoneurum (C.H.Wright) Poelln. Chlorophytum lewisae Oberm. Chlorophytum limosum (Baker) Nordal Chlorophytum littorale Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum longifolium Schweinf. ex Baker Chlorophytum longiscapum Dammer Chlorophytum longissimum Ridl. Chlorophytum macrophyllum (A.Rich.) Asch. Chlorophytum macrorrhizum Poelln. Chlorophytum macrosporum Baker Chlorophytum madagascariense Baker Chlorophytum malabaricum Baker Chlorophytum malayense Ridl. Chlorophytum mamillatum Elden & Nordal Chlorophytum modestum Baker Chlorophytum molle (Baker) Meerts Chlorophytum monophyllum Oberm. Chlorophytum namaquense Schltr. ex Poelln. Chlorophytum namorokense H.Perrier Chlorophytum nepalense (Lindl.) Baker Chlorophytum nervosum Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum nidulans (Baker) Brenan Chlorophytum nimmonii Dalzell Chlorophytum nubicum (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum nyasae (Rendle) Kativu Chlorophytum nzii A.Chev. ex Hepper Chlorophytum occultum A.D.Poulsen & Nordal Chlorophytum orchidastrum Lindl. Chlorophytum orchideum (Welw. ex Baker) Meerts Chlorophytum palghatense K.M.P.Kumar & Adsul Chlorophytum parkeri (Baker) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum parvulum Chiov. Chlorophytum paucinervatum (Poelln.) Nordal Chlorophytum pauciphyllum Oberm. Chlorophytum pauper Poelln. Chlorophytum pendulum Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum peralbum Poelln. Chlorophytum perfoliatum Kativu Chlorophytum petraeum Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum petrophilum K.Krause Chlorophytum pilosicarinatum (Poelln.) Meerts Chlorophytum polystachys Baker Chlorophytum pseudocaule Tesfaye & Nordal Chlorophytum pterocarpum Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum pubiflorum Baker Chlorophytum pusillum Schweinf. ex Baker Chlorophytum pygmaeum (Weim.) Kativu Chlorophytum radula (Baker) Nordal Chlorophytum ramosissimum Nordal & Thulin Chlorophytum rangei (Engl. & K.Krause) Nordal Chlorophytum recurvifolium (Baker) C.Archer & Kativu Chlorophytum reflexibracteatum Poelln. Chlorophytum restrictum Kativu Chlorophytum rhizopendulum Bjorå & Hemp Chlorophytum rigidum Kunth Chlorophytum ruahense Engl. Chlorophytum rubribracteatum (De Wild.) Kativu Chlorophytum rutenbergianum Vatke Chlorophytum saundersiae (Baker) Nordal Chlorophytum scabrum Baker Chlorophytum senegalense (Baker) Hepper Chlorophytum serpens Sebsebe & Nordal Chlorophytum sharmae Adsul, Lekhak & S.R.Yadav Chlorophytum sikkimense P.Rai Chlorophytum simplex Craib Chlorophytum sofiense (H.Perrier) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum somaliense Baker Chlorophytum sparsiflorum Baker Chlorophytum sphacelatum (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum sphagnicola Meerts Chlorophytum staudtii Nordal Chlorophytum stenopetalum Baker Chlorophytum stolzii (K.Krause) Weim. Chlorophytum subligulatum H.Perrier Chlorophytum subpetiolatum (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum suffruticosum Baker Chlorophytum superpositum (Baker) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum sylvestre Bardot-Vaucoulon Chlorophytum tenerrimum Peter ex Poelln. Chlorophytum tetraphyllum (L.f.) Baker Chlorophytum tillariense S.R.Yadav & Chandore Chlorophytum tordense Chiov. Chlorophytum transvaalense (Baker) Kativu Chlorophytum trichophlebium (Baker) Nordal Chlorophytum triflorum (Aiton) Kunth Chlorophytum tripedale (Baker) H.Perrier Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker Chlorophytum ustulatum (Welw. ex Baker) Meerts Chlorophytum velutinum Kativu Chlorophytum vespertinum Vollesen Chlorophytum vestitum Baker Chlorophytum viridescens Engl. Chlorophytum viscosum Kunth Chlorophytum waibelii K.Krause Chlorophytum warneckei (Engl.) Marais & Reilly Chlorophytum zambiense Bjorå & Nordal Chlorophytum zavattarii (Cufod.) Nordal Chlorophytum zingiberastrum Nordal & A.D.Poulsen
References
External links