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Sansevieria aethiopica Thunberg |
| Protologue: |
Prodomus Plantarum Capensium, 1: 65 (1794). |
| Subgenus: |
Sansevieria |
| Group: |
Sansevieria aethiopica |
| Description: |
Acaulescent, rhizomatous, clumping perennial; rhizome 1 1.2 cm diameter and 5-10 cm long with a buff-colored epidermis. Leaves 14 in a mature rosette, 3-4 in immature rosettes, upright, typically stiff, linear lanceolate, (10-) 14 cm long by 1 cm wide, widest about halfway from base to tip, guttered 4 mm deep with a central longitudinal line, U-shaped near base, tip charteous and withered; leaf base 3 mm thick. Both surfaces are smooth and green with indistinct lighter green bands and blotches; margin with fine (< 1 mm) red-brown line and a narrow whitish edge, shredding a few fibers. Inflorescence and flowers not seen. |
| Etymology: |
The epithet means from Africa, which typically refers to South Africa. |
| Distribution: |
Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa. |
| Brief Description: |
This is a short, acaulescent and rhizomatous perennial that is highly variable. There may be 13 30 leaves in a rosulate configuration, ascending-spreading, linear to linear-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 13-43 cm long by 1-3 cm wide. The leaves may be smooth or very rough, and the upper surface is concave with a sharp white tip. The leaves are dark green with bluish hue and a glaucous blush, with or without pale green banding. The margins may be red or whitish. The simple inflorescence is 35-75 cm tall with 4 6 flowers per cluster. |
| Similar Species: |
Sansevieria aethiopica, despite its many forms, is rather unique within the genus. It could be confused with some of the forms of Sansevieria roxburgiana in cultivation, but that species occurs in southeastern India. Sansevieria scabrifolia Dinter, which is still in cultivation, fits here, but we treat Sansevieria caespitosa Dinter (1926) as a potentially separate species. S. aethiopica subsp. itumea is now S. itumei. |
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Sansevieria aethiopica in habitat in southern Namibia.
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A narrow-leaf form of Sansevieria aethiopica in southern Namibia.
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Sansevieria aethiopica flowering in Botswana (photograph by Mary Wilkins-Ellert).
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Sansevieria aethiopica flowering in cultivation.
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