Furcraea

Furcraea is a genus of succulent plants belonging to the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to tropical regions of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. Some species are also naturalized in parts of Africa, Florida, Portugal, Thailand, India, and Australia, as well as on various oceanic islands. Plants of this genus are the origin of fique or cabuyo, a natural fiber. Species include: Furcraea acaulis (Kunth) B.Ullrich – Venezuela Furcraea andina Trel. in L.H.Bailey – Peru, Ecuador Furcraea antillana A.Álvarez – Cuba, hispaniola Furcraea boliviensis Ravenna – Bolivia Furcraea cabuya Trel. – tropical Mexico, Central America, Venezuela Furcraea depauperata Jacobi – Mexico but apparently extinct Furcraea foetida (L.) Haw. (Mauritius Hemp) – southern Caribbean; widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere Furcraea guatemalensis Trel. – southern Mexico, Central America Furcraea guerrerensis Matuda – Guerrero Furcraea hexapetala (Jacq.) Urb., (Cuban Hemp) – southern Mexico, West Indies, Venezuela, Ecuador, Galápagos Furcraea longaeva Karw. & Zucc. – Puebla, Oaxaca Furcraea macdougalii Matuda – Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas Furcraea martinezii García-Mend. & L.de la Rosa – Guerrero Furcraea niquivilensis Matuda ex García-Mend – Chiapas Furcraea occidentalis Trel. – Peru Furcraea parmentieri (Roezl) García-Mend. – southern Mexico Furcraea quicheensis Trel. – Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras Furcraea samalana Trel. – Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador Furcraea selloa K.Koch (Wild Sisal) – Colombia, Ecuador; naturalized in Tamaulipas, Florida, Andaman Islands, India, Queensland Furcraea stratiotes Petersen – Nicaragua Furcraea stricta Jacobi – Trinidad, Colombia, Brazil Furcraea tuberosa (Mill.) Aiton (Female Karata)- West Indies; naturalized in South Africa Furcraea undulata Jacobi – tropical Mexico, El Salvador