Asparagaceae FAMILY Critically Endangered

Chlorophytum borivilianum

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

4/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Perennial

Growth—

Chlorophytum species require a frost free climate, and can succeed from the subtropical zone to the tropics, in moist to humid climates^[1]. Species in this genus seem to be adapted to a wide range of conditions in cultivation, though they are generally found in soils rich in organic matter and can succeed in full sun or in shade^{[1, 2]} This species is increasingly being cultivated as a medicinal crop in India, especially in the rainy season, when a commercial root harvest can be obtained in 3 - 4 months from planting^[2]. The collection of Chlorophytum roots from the wild for medicinal purposes is usually carried out before seed maturity, thus hampering natural regeneration and reducing native populations^[3]. In nature, Moosli propagates vegetatively through its fleshy roots., rarely by seed. The black angular seed is similar to onion seed in appearance. Seed have poor germination and low viability^[2].

Propagation

Seed - only around 16% of seed produced is viable^[3]. Seed has a dormancy period of around 8 - 9 months after ripening, Sow in a tray, pricking out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. Grow on for the first year in the pot, planting out before the start of the rainy season. Most plants do not flower in their first year of growth, though 2 - 3% of the seedlings will flower within 3 months in cultivation. Division of the tubers before the rainy season starts. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Chlorophytum+borivilianum>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[2]New Crops FactSheets — Purdue University · http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html ↩︎A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops.
[3]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
[4]Flowers of India — http://www.flowersofindia.net/ ↩︎A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
[5]Indian Medicinal Plants; An Illustrated Dictionary — Khare C.P. (Ed.) · Springer-Verlag Berlin/Heidelberg · 2007 · ISBN 978-0-387-70637-5 ↩︎