Chlorophytum

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Chlorophytum
Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum'
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Order: Asparagales Family: Agavaceae Genus: Chlorophytum Ker Gawl.
Species
About 200-220, including: Chlorophytum amaniense Chlorophytum arundinaceum Chlorophytum bichetii Chlorophytum borivilianum Chlorophytum capense Chlorophytum comosum Chlorophytum heynei Chlorophytum hoffmannii Chlorophytum inornatum Chlorophytum macrophyllum Chlorophytum nepalense Chlorophytum orchidastrum Chlorophytum tuberosum

Chlorophytum is a genus of about 200-220 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the Agavaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.

They grow to 10-60 cm tall, with a rosette of long, slender leaves 15-75 cm long and 0.5-2 cm broad, growing from a thick, fleshy rhizome. The flowers are small, usually white, produced on sparse panicles up to 120 cm long; in some species the panicle also bears plantlets, which take root on touching the ground.

Chlorophytum comosum, the Spider Plant, a native of South Africa, is a very popular houseplant in its variegated form.

Chlorophytum borivilianum is eaten as a leaf vegetable in some parts of India, and its roots are used medicinally as a sex tonic under the name safed moosli. The medicinal value is thought to derive from its saponin content, up to 17 percent by dry weight. It has also recently been suggested that it may produce an aphrodisiac agent. It is a herb with lanceolate leaves, from tropical wet forests. As medicinal demand has increased, the plant has been brought under cultivation. The saponins and alkaloids present in the plant are the source of its alleged aphrodisiac properties. [1], [2]