| Protologue: |
Curtis Botanical Magazine, Series 4, 9 4: 8487 (1913). |
| Etymology: |
The epithet indicates the species is from Abyssinia (Ethiopia). |
| Subgenus: |
Sansevieria |
| Group: |
not considered a viable species |
| Distribution: |
Ethiopia and the Sudan. |
| Brief Description: |
This acaulescent and rhizomatous species has 1 – 2 leaves that are erect, more or less stiff, rough on both sides, and 60 cm or more in length and 6.4-7.5 cm across. The leaves are lanceolate with a blunt but hardened tip, and they taper from the middle downwards into a channeled petiole perhaps 5 – 12.7 cm long. The leaves are gray-green in color and have faint to prominent lighter gray-green mottling and banding, and the margins have reddish-brown edges and are undulating. |
| Similar Species: |
This is a questionable species that currently is lumped under Sansevieria forskaoliana. These plants are clearly related to that species, but they have narrower leaves. Further research is needed to determine if it should be returned to species rank or made into a subspecies or variety of S. forskaoliana. |
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Sansevieria abyssinica flowering in cultivation.
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