Sansevieria trifasciata
(mother-in-law’s tongue)

Pictures

Picture	Title	Caption	Copyright
Title Invasive habit Caption Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); habit and habitat, with Laysan albatross chick at Enlisted Woods Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 10, 2008. Copyright ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0	Invasive habit	Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); habit and habitat, with Laysan albatross chick at Enlisted Woods Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 10, 2008.	©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0
Title Habit Caption Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); habit at Enlisted Woods Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 10, 2008. Copyright ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0	Habit	Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); habit at Enlisted Woods Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 10, 2008.	©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0
Title Invasive habit Caption Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); habit at Old water treatment facility Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 04, 2008. Copyright ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0	Invasive habit	Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); habit at Old water treatment facility Sand Island, Midway Atoll. June 04, 2008.	©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0
Title Variegated dwarf variety Caption Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); variegated dwarf variety at Kihei, Maui. February 15, 2011 Copyright ©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0	Variegated dwarf variety	Sansevieria trifasciata (mother in law's tongue, snake plant); variegated dwarf variety at Kihei, Maui. February 15, 2011	©Forest Starr & Kim Starr - CC BY 4.0

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name

• Sansevieria trifasciata Prain, 1903

Preferred Common Name

• mother-in-law’s tongue

Other Scientific Names

• Aletris hyacinthoides var. zeylanica L.
• Sansevieria jacquinii N.E.Br.
• Sansevieria laurentii
• Sansevieria laurentis De Wild.
• Sansevieria trifasciata var. laurentii (De Wild.) N.E.Br.
• Sansevieria zeylanica var. laurentii (De Wild.) L.H.Bailey

International Common Names

• English: good-luck plant; iguanatail; konje hemp; snake plant; viper’s bowstring hemp
• Spanish: lengua de suegra; lengua de vaca; sansevieria
• French: chanvre d'Afrique; langue de belle-mère

Local Common Names

• Cook Islands: riri
• Costa Rica: Espada de Judas; Espada del Diablo
• Germany: Bogenhanf
• Guam: tigre
• Jamaica: tiger cat
• Lesser Antilles: oreillo di burian; rhamni; yerba ci cinta; yerba di colebas
• Palau: kitelel
• Tonga: alelo; elelo; ngata

EPPO code

• SAHTR (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Summary of Invasiveness

S. trifasciata is a very aggressive invasive plant able to grow in a great range of sunlit exposures (from complete sunny open areas to partial shaded areas). Additionally, this species is drought and heat tolerant (Gilman, 1999). S. trifasciata is able to reproductive by seeds but also by leaf segments and rhizomes. Segments of leaves and rhizomes resprout easily and grow rapidly forming dense and virtually impenetrable thickets (Arnold, 2004). S. trifasciata is a succulent perennial herb included in the Global Compendium of Weeds and considered a “noxious weed” (Randall, 2012).  

Taxonomic Tree

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Monocotyledonae
•                     Order: Liliales
•                         Family: Agavaceae
•                             Genus: Sansevieria
•                                 Species: Sansevieria trifasciata

Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature

While many botanists have adopted the APG III system of classification for the orders and families of flowering plants, which places Sansevieria in the family Asparagaceae, the CAB Thesaurus continues to use the Cronquist system which places it under Agavaceae. The taxonomic tree in the Identity section reflects this positioning. The Notes below describe how Sansevieria is placed within the APG system. USDA-ARS (2012) places Sansevieria within the subfamily Nolinoideae in the Asparagaceae, but notes that the genus is sometimes also placed in the Agavaceae, Convallariaceae, Dracaenaceae, Liliaceae or Ruscaceae.

The family Asparagales includes about 153 genera and 2480 species that are distributed worldwide. This family is subdivided into seven subfamilies: Aphyllanthoideae, Agavoideae, Brodiaeoideae, Scilloideae, Lomandroideae, Asparagoideae, and Nolinoideae. For some authors, the classification of this family is highly unsatisfactory. There are no specific traits that characterize this family, and some of the subfamilies are difficult to recognize while others are very distinctive (Stevens, 2012). Sansevieria is a genus of xerophytic perennial herbs including about 60 species distributed in tropical and southern Africa, Madagascar, and Arabia. In addition, there are many hybrids and horticultural variants and as a result the classification of plants within this genus is often very difficult (Acevedo Rodríguez and Strong, 2005). Within the genus Sansevieria, the species S. trifasciata is the species most commercialized in the nursery and landscape trade. Henley et al. (1991) reported that at least 20 cultivars of this species were sold in nurseries around the world.

Description

S. trifasciata is a succulent plant with stout creeping rhizomes. Leaves 1 or 2 together, linear-oblanceolate, stiffly erect, 30-100 × 3 cm, the apex tapering to a stiff green point; the blades are transversely banded with contrasting green and whitish zones; margins are green. The inflorescence is pedunculate, 30-75 cm long. Flowers are solitary or in clusters of 2 or 3, pedicels up to 5 mm long; perianth tube 1 cm long or less, the linear lobes up to 2 cm long, white or greenish white. Fruits are subglobose to oblong-ellipsoid, 7-9 × 5-8 mm, bright orange (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2005).

Plant Type

Distribution

S. trifasciata is native to tropical Africa. It was introduced to America, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands as an ornamental and fibre crop (ISSG, 2012; USDA-ARS, 2012). Considering that this species is widely cultivated, it is highly probable that geographic distribution includes more locations than are listed.

Distribution Table

The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

History of Introduction and Spread

Sansevieria species were probably introduced to Florida during a period of Spanish colonization between 1765 and 1820 (Henley, 1982). In 1891, C.R. Dodge wrote a report on fibre investigations for the US Department of Agriculture and there he reported the species Sansevieria zeylanica (now S. trifasciata) growing in several localities in southern Florida (Dodge, 1891). Between 1910 and 1940, several attempts to cultivate S. trifasciata in order to produce fibre were performed in Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Bahamas and the British West Indies (Joyner et al., 1951) where it probably spread vegetatively from areas where it has been cultivated. In 1918, N.L. Britton reported this species as “common in gardens” in Bermuda and he also mentioned that it was grown at the Agricultural Station in 1913 (Britton, 1918).

In Florida during the 1920s, S. trifasciata was commercialized as a pot plant and later exported to Europe, Central and South America and the Caribbean (Henley, 1982). For Puerto Rico, S. trifasciata was first collected in 1914 on Vieques Island (Smithsonian Herbarium), and by 1924 N.L. Britton reported this species as “spontaneous after cultivation” and he also mentioned that this species was commercially grown at Sabana Llana between 1929 and 1930 (Britton, 1930). In Australia, S. trifasciata was classified as a potential weed by 1998, however it is widely used as an ornamental here (Csurhes and Edwards, 1998).

By 2000, S. trifasciata was classified as “invasive” in Florida and the trade and commercialization of plants was restricted due to their actual or potential invasiveness (Garofalo et al., 2000). This species is also classified as invasive in Cuba (González-Torres et al., 2012), Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2012), Hawaii (Flynn and Lorence, 2002), the Galapagos Islands (Jørgensen and León-Yánez, 1999), Juan Fernández Island (Atkinson and Sawyer, 2011), the Cook Islands (Space and Flynn, 2002), Fiji (Smith, 1979), French Polynesia (Lorence and Wagner, 2008), Niue (Space et al., 2004), Palau (Space et al., 2003) and Western Samoa (Space and Flynn, 2002).

Risk of Introduction

The risk of introduction of S. trifasciata is high. It is an aggressive invader that rapidly colonizes areas where it grows. Many cultivars of S. trifasciata are commercialized as ornamentals, potted indoor plants, and air-filter plants. This species is very common in nurseries around the world, and hence has a high probability of colonizing new habitats.

Habitat

Species within the genus Sansevieria have a number of adaptations for surviving dry and arid regions such as thick, succulent leaves for storing water and thick leaf cuticles for reducing moisture loss. In addition, like other succulent plants, Sansevieria species use crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) as part of photosynthesis, which reduces water loss by undergoing nocturnal transpiration and allow improved drought and heat tolerance (Koller and Rost, 1988). S. trifasciata has a high level of salt-tolerance and low nutrient requirements (Garofalo et al., 2000; Brown, 2011). This species can be found growing in tropical, subtropical and warmer temperate regions in a wide variety of light conditions ranging from full-sun open areas to shaded areas beneath canopy forests. It is a common weed of roadsides, abandoned gardens, waste areas, disturbed sites, coastal forests, secondary wet forests, mesic forests, and dry forests (ISSG, 2012; PIER, 2012).

Habitat List

Biology and Ecology

Genetics

Chromosome number for S. trifasciata varies from 2n=40 (Nazeer and Khoshoo, 1984). 

Reproductive Biology

S. trifasciata produces hermaphroditic white or greenish white flowers. Flowers emit a strong pleasant scent and open for only one night. Flowers generally open in the late afternoon and close in the early hours of the following morning. Flowers are probably pollinated by moths (Arnold, 2004). 

Phenology

S. trifasciata flowers periodically throughout the year in the tropics (Gilman, 1999), but is most common in summer in the subtropics (Arnold, 2004).

Longevity

Sansevieria species are extremely long lived plants that can survive more than 50 years (Stover, 1983).

Climate

Rainfall

Rainfall Regime

Soil Tolerances

Soil drainage

• free

Soil reaction

• acid
• alkaline
• neutral

Soil texture

• heavy
• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• saline
• shallow

Natural enemies

Notes on Natural Enemies

In July 2010, larvae of the agave weevil Scyphophorus acupunctatus were found feeding inside S. trifasciata in Lee County, Florida (Brown, 2011). This species is a significant pest of agave, yucca, and various other plants in the Asparagaceae family. Infected plant symptoms include sparse stand, fallen leaves, and slightly chlorotic leaves (Brown, 2011).

Means of Movement and Dispersal

S. trifasciata can be dispersed by seeds, leaf cuttings and rhizomes. Seeds are mainly dispersed by birds and other animals that eat the brightly coloured fruits. Leaf segments and rhizomes can be dispersed in garden waste (ISSG, 2012). The species has the potential to spread vegetatively from areas where it is cultivated. Several cultivars of S. trifasciata are also sold in the nursery and landscape trade.

Pathway Causes

Pathway Vectors

Impact Summary

Environmental Impact

S. trifasciata is classified as a “noxious weed” and is included in the Global Compendium of Weeds (Randall, 2012). It has the potential to negatively impact and disrupt native vegetation communities in dry and wet habitat in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions (ISSG, 2012). S. trifasciata is able to grow rapidly forming extensive underground rhizome networks and impenetrable aboveground thickets that can out-compete and displace native vegetation (ISSG, 2012).

Risk and Impact Factors

• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Has a broad native range
• Abundant in its native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Is a habitat generalist
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Pioneering in disturbed areas
• Tolerant of shade
• Highly mobile locally
• Long lived
• Fast growing
• Has high reproductive potential
• Gregarious
• Has propagules that can remain viable for more than one year
• Reproduces asexually

• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Loss of medicinal resources
• Monoculture formation
• Reduced native biodiversity
• Threat to/ loss of native species

• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Competition - smothering
• Competition - strangling
• Pest and disease transmission
• Hybridization
• Rapid growth
• Rooting

• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately

Uses

S. trifasciata is an economically important species used as an ornamental and fibre crop. More than 20 cultivars are commercialized in nurseries and the landscape trade mainly due to the multicoloured and mottled leaves and the interesting wide variation in leaf shapes (Nazeer and Khoshoo 1984). S. trifasciata is commonly used as an indoor pot plant and it is very popular in the nursery trade because it has been found that this species is one of the most efficient plants for cleaning the air by removing toxins such as formaldehyde that are present in homes and offices (Wolverton et al., 1989). S. trifasciata is also used as a source of fibre, and in traditional medicine in Africa and Southeast Asia (Watt and Breyer-Brandwijk, 1962; Sunilson et al., 2009).

Uses List

General

• Ornamental

Materials

• Fibre

Medicinal, pharmaceutical

• Source of medicine/pharmaceutical
• Traditional/folklore

Ornamental

• Potted plant
• Propagation material
• Seed trade

Similarities to Other Species/Conditions

S. trifasciata can be confused with Sansevieria hyacinthoides, but they can be distinguished based on leaf traits. While in S. hyacinthoides the margin of leaves have a red-brown line, in S. trifasciata the margins of leaves are green or white, lacking the reddish line (Acevedo-Rodríguez and Strong, 2005).

Prevention and Control

Physical/Mechanical Control

Sansevieria species are difficult to control because they form extensive rhizome networks and thickets. Plants should be removed by digging or hand-pulling and removed from the site. All leaf segments and rhizomes have to be removed because they have the potential to resprout.

Chemical control

Plants of S. trifasciata should be cut down to ground level. In Queensland, Australia, the following herbicides are registered for control of environmental weeds and as such are permitted for S. fasciata with permit PER11463 (Queensland Government Factsheet PP116, January 2013), but they have not been tested on the species itself:

• Imazapyr: 2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid. 200 mL per 100 L water.
• Metsulfuron-methyl: Methyl 2 (4-methoxy—6-methyl-l,3,5-triazifl-2-yl) aminolcarbonyl-amino sulfonil benzoate. 10 g per 100 L water plus a wetting agent.
• Glyphosate: N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine. 1 L per 100 L water.

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Links to Websites

Contributors

27/11/12 Original text by:

Julissa Rojas-Sandoval, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA

Pedro Acevedo-Rodríguez, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA

Distribution Maps