Furcraea
Encyclopedia
Furcraea is a genus
of succulent plant
s belonging to the family
Asparagaceae
, subfamily Agavoideae, native to tropical regions of Mexico
, the Caribbean
, Central America
and northern South America
. Plants of this genus are the origin of fique
or cabuyo, a natural fiber.
Species include:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of succulent plant
Succulent plant
Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climates or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and also in roots...
s belonging to the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
, subfamily Agavoideae, native to tropical regions of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Plants of this genus are the origin of fique
Fique
Fique is a natural fibre that grows in the leaves of the fique plant, Furcraea andina, a xerophytic monocot native to Andean regions of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. From here it was extended to Venezuela and the east coast of Brazil. Common names: Fique, Cabuya, Pita, Penca, Maguey, Cabui,...
or cabuyo, a natural fiber.
Species include:
- Furcraea andina
- Furcraea bedinghausii
- Furcraea cabuya
- Furcraea elegans
- Furcraea foetidaFurcraea foetidaFurcraea foetida is a species of flowering plant native to the Caribbean and northern South America.-Description:...
(Mauritius Hemp) - Furcraea hexapetala (Cuban Hemp)
- Furcraea longaeva
- Furcraea macrophylla
- Furcraea parmentieri
- Furcraea pubescens
- Furcraea quicheensis
- Furcraea selloa (Wild Sisal)
- Furcraea tuberosa (Female Karata)