| Protologue: |
Cactus and Succulent Journal (Los Angeles) 72: 31 (2000). |
| Subgenus: |
Sansevieria |
| Group: |
Sansevieria masoniana |
| Etymology: |
This species is named for Maurice L. Mason, a British farmer and succulent plant enthusiast who evidently found this species. |
| Distribution: |
Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
| Brief Description: |
This acaulescent and rhizomatous species is noteworthy for the 4-cm diameter of its mature rhizome, one of the largest in the genus. Typically only 1 - 2 leaves arise from the rhizome, and these are erect, leathery, more-or-less rigid, and oblanceolate. Typically the somewhat rough leaves are about 100 cm tall by 18 cm wide, but plants in cultivation have reached 2 m in height. The leaves are a dull greyish-green color with lighter-colored blotches, and the margins are fibrous and fraying with a chestnut-brown color. The basal sheath on the leaves has purplish bands. The inflorescence is up to 53 cm tall and simple with 1 - 2 flowers per cluster. |
| Similar Species: |
Sansevieria masoniana, which for years was distributed under the cultivar name of 'Mason-Congo', has the second-largest leaves of the broad-leaf species within the genus. Sansevieria alwitrii has the largest leaves, but they are not mottled like S. masoniana and they have fine longitudinal lines. It is difficult to confuse this species with any other, and the confusion would only occur in juvenile leaves. |
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Sansevieria masoniana in cultivation.
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The variegated form of Sansevieria masoniana in cultivation.
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