Furcraea


Furcraea is a genus of succulent plants belonging to the family Asparagaceae, native to tropical regions of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and northern South America. Some species are also naturalized in parts of Africa, the United States, 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

ImageScientific nameDistribution
Furcraea abisaii Gir.-Cañas
Furcraea acaulis B.UllrichVenezuela
Furcraea andina Trel.Peru, Ecuador
Furcraea antillana A.ÁlvarezCuba, Hispaniola
Furcraea boliviensis RavennaBolivia
Furcraea cabuya Trel.tropical Mexico, Central America, Venezuela
Furcraea depauperata JacobiMexico but apparently extinct
Furcraea flavoviridis Hook.
Furcraea foetida Haw.
southern Caribbean; widely cultivated and naturalized elsewhere
Furcraea guatemalensis Trel.southern Mexico, Central America
Furcraea guerrerensis MatudaGuerrero
Furcraea hexapetala Urb.
southern Mexico, West Indies, Venezuela, Ecuador, Galápagos
Furcraea longaeva Karw. & Zucc.Puebla, Oaxaca
Furcraea macdougallii MatudaPuebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas
Furcraea martinezii García-Mend. & L.de la RosaGuerrero
Furcraea niquivilensis Matuda ex García-Mend.Chiapas
Furcraea occidentalis Trel.Peru
Furcraea parmentieri García-Mend.southern Mexico
Furcraea pubescens Tod.
Furcraea quicheensis Trel.Chiapas, Guatemala, Honduras
Furcraea samalana Trel.Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador
Furcraea selloa K.Koch
Colombia, Ecuador; naturalized in Tamaulipas, Florida, Andaman Islands, India, Queensland
Furcraea stratiotes PetersenNicaragua
Furcraea stricta JacobiTrinidad, Colombia, Brazil
Furcraea tuberosa W.T.Aiton
West Indies; naturalized in South Africa
Furcraea undulata Jacobitropical Mexico, El Salvador