5. Agave sisalana Perrine ex Engelm. in Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis. 3:305. 1875. Parker, For. Fl. Punj. 514.1918; Bailey, Stand. Cyclop. Hort. 1:232.1919; Duthie, Fl. Upper Gang. Plains 3(2):244.1920; Kazmi & Jehan in Sultania 3:18.1977.
RUBINA AKHTER and SHAHINA A. GHAZANFAR
Stem short, covered by leaf bases. Leaves 1-2 m long, c. 8 cm wide, widest about the middle, erect, neck not sharply constricted, greyish green, often glabrous, channelled to about 2/3rd its length, the basal 1/3rd flat above, marginal spines lacking. Inflorescence a large panicle. Flowers arranged on the terminal portion in dense clusters, sessile, 4-5 cm long. Perianth segments six, spreading, equalling the ovary segment. Stamens 6, filaments longer than the perianth segment, 3-4 cm long anthers versatile. Style exserted, stigma 3-lobed.
Type: Described from Southern United States.
Distribution: East and West Africa, Mexico, cultivated elsewhere.
A plant economically important for sisal fibre obtained from leaves. This species is cultivated on a small scale in the Punjab and NWFP, however not widely cultivated commercially in Pakistan. Sisal fibre is mostly imported for making ropes.
