Indian Bowstring Hemp, Bowstring Hemp
Sansevieria roxburghiana
Family: Asparagaceae
What it is like
Sansevieria roxburghiana is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Occasionally found on dry forested slopes, gravelly soil and rock crevices, less in the plains. Foothills upto 1000m. Coromandel coast.
E. Asia - southern and eastern India.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Occurring in the Eastern coastal region of India, also found in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Bangladesh, tropical Africa and Myanmar. In Bangladesh, Sansevieria roxburghiana are wildly distributed in Gazipur, Savar and Tangail.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 3
It has various traditional uses and recently various pharmacological uses are pursuing. Traditionally it is used as a cardiotonic, expectorant, febrifuge, purgative, tonic in glandular enlargement and rheumatism etc. The plant is known to possess antitumor, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant and analgesic activity. It contains carbohydrates, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, carotenoids gallic acid, palmitic acid, caft aric acid, isorahmnitin-3-O-ß-D glucopyranoside, buphanidine, diethyl ph thalate, 6-methyl-1-octanol, 3,3-dimethylhexanal, proteins, and phytosterols. It also contains a rare homoisoflavonoid Cambodianol.
Other
Rating: 3
A good quality fibre is obtained from the leaves. The fibre is pliant, soft, and silky. The natural elasticity of the fibre makes it suitable for making bowstrings. The fibre is used for the preparation of cordage and matting in the regions where it occurs, and is much valued in Europe for ropes used in deep-sea dredging. It has been used for making paper, but is too expensive a fibre for this use. The fibre is usually prepared by taking the fresh leaves and placing one of them on a smooth board which is raised at one end. The lower end of the leaf is then pressed down by the toe of the workman, who squats on the plank, and with a blunt knife, or piece of iron plate scrapes upward along the surface of the leaf and thus deprives it of its fleshy pulp by successive scrapings, turning the leaf over and over, as may be necessary. When the pulp is thoroughly removed, the fibre is washed for three or four minutes, and dried in the shade. Washing in brackish or salt water, or continuous soaking in water is said to destroy the glossy white appearance of this fibre. Industrial Crop: Fiber.
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
How it is grown
Subtropical to tropical climate in semi-arid to humid locations. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7. Established plants are very drought tolerant. The plant can spread freely at the roots.
Propagating it: Seed - Division of the rootstock. Leaf cuttings. Cut the leaf into sections about 5cm long, place in a 2:1 mix of sand and peat in a propagating case with a bottom heat of 18°c.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Common name: Indian Bowstring Hemp, Bowstring Hemp • Hindi: Marul, Murahri, Murva • Kannada: Heggurutike • Malayalam: Hatukapel • Marathi: Murhari • Sanskrit: Muruva • Tamil: Marul-kalang • Telugu: Ishaura-koda-udr
Synonyms
Acyntha roxburghiana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Kuntze Cordyline roxburghiana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Merr. Sansevieria zeylanica Roxb.