Sanseviera
All of us are familiar with this evergreen stalkless plant house, even if we know it under a different name - "pike tail".The image of it is remembered instantly, it is worthwhile to see at least once these peculiar leaves sticking up like swords. Sometimes it is called "teschin tongue" or "cuckoo's tail", and English - "the language of the devil" or "leopard lily", Americans - "snake skin".
The genus of the Sansever was named after the Italian prince Sanseviero, who lived in the 18th century in the kingdom of Naples and patronized the natural sciences. This relatively small genus( up to 60 species) is related to the Drachen family. But sometimes in literature one can find the mention that sansevieres are part of the agave family. Indeed, with agaves, they are related to a group of succulent plants: appearance( lack of stalk and compact arrangement of leaves), unpretentiousness, ability to survive in the most severe conditions, for a long time dispense with water and nutrition, storing everything necessary in strong leaves. True, the healing properties of the agave have been studied much better and are not only used by
specialists, but also by many owners of "apothecary gardens" on the windowsill. And the action of the San-sevier is still experienced by the brave loners.
The home of the "pike tail" - savannahs, semi-deserts and deserts of tropical regions of Africa. It is found in the wild and on the island of Madagascar, and also in Asia - on the Arabian Peninsula and in Ceylon. At home this plant is planted to create a hedge near the dwellings;In addition, the Aborigines used the fibers of the sansevier as a string for bows. In India, it has been specially cultivated since time immemorial as a valuable fibrous plant - it produces coarse, but durable fabrics, ropes and sea ropes.
In Europe, a sanseur appeared in the 18th century and has since been grown as a decorative room and landscape plant. In appearance, these "African women" are divided into two large groups: tall erect species with long lanceolate leaves and varieties with short leaves forming a rosette.
Most often on the windowsills you can see the sansevieru three-striped( Sansevieria trifasciata).It does not have a pronounced stem, leaves are linear, oblate, vertically standing. In the largest specimens, the leaves can grow to 1.5 m in length and up to 2.5-7 cm wide. On both sides they are dense, leathery, with light and dark green transverse bands, reminiscent of the shape and coloring of the body of the pike. The brightest these strips of
are in young plants. At the top of the leaf is a pointed cap or a subulate pointed, but not a spiny tip. In some species of sanseveres, the leaves are covered with a thin wax coating characteristic for succulent plants, which protects them from the evaporation of moisture.
Leaves leave directly from the thick underground rhizome( up to 2 cm in diameter).It is creeping, with powerful roots, capable of even breaking a too tight pot.
Flowers are white or greenish, with narrow petals and long stamens, with perianth, up to 4 cm long, collected in a dense cylindrical inflorescence on a long erect peduncle. In the premises see the flowering "pike tail" is not so often. In nature, the flowers of some of its species emit drops of nectar, which attracts pollinator insects. They are very fragrant, open in the evening and at night produce a strong vanilla flavor.