''Furcraea'' is a
genus of
succulent plant
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...
s belonging to the
family Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, ''Asparagus officinalis''. Those who live in the temperate c ...
, native to tropical regions of Mexico, the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
, Central America and northern South America. Some species are also naturalized in parts of Africa, the United States (
Florida), Portugal, Thailand, India, and Australia, as well as on various oceanic islands.
[Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families](_blank)
/ref>[García-Mendoza, A. 2000. Revisión taxonómica de las especies arborescentes de ''Furcraea'' (Agavaceae) en México y Guatemala. Bol. Soc. Bot. México 66: 113–129] They are xerophytic monocots.
Plants of this genus are the origin of fique or ''cabuyo'', a natural fiber.
Species
See also
* Fique
References
Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Furcraea''United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile: ''Furcraea''
Asparagaceae genera
Agavoideae
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