Bowstring hemp
Sansevieria aethiopica

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

A succulent plant. It keeps growing from year to year. It has a creeping rhizome. The leaves are narrow and grow upright from this. They leaves are 30-40 cm long. The flowering plant can be 60 cm high. The leaves are rigid and fibrous. They are dull green with white blotches. The flowers are tube shaped and open at night. They are cream or green. The fruit are red berries.

Also put in the family Dracaenaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in sandy soil and in shady places. It grows in hot arid places with a marked dry season. It grows in well-drained soils often over limestone material. It grows between 100-1,465 m above sea level. It is common in the Kalahari. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Australia, Botswana, East Africa, Ethiopia, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The root is used as a source of water in dry places but it can be bitter. The roots are used to make a dairy like product or rennet or milk substitute. It can curdle milk. The fruit is eaten as a snack.

Edible parts

Root, rhizome - water, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Eyasigo, Mosokelatsebeng, Omuse, Onghushe, Rufugu

Synonyms

Sanseviera scabrifolia Dinter; Sanseviera zeylanica Bak. non Willd.;