Common name: Spider Plant, Ribbon Plant
Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques APNI* 
Description: Tufted perennial herb to c. 60 cm high; roots tuberous, 5–10 cm long.
Leaves 20–45 cm long, 6–25 mm wide.
Inflorescence 30–75 cm long, spreading to decumbent, becoming pendent; scape branched; flowers in clusters of 1–6, most aborting; lower bracts subulate, 5–8 cm long; upper bracts ovate-acuminate, 2–5 cm long; pedicels 4–8 mm long, ascending. Tepals 6–9 mm long, hooded, green or white, 3-veined. Filaments 3–5 mm long; anthers c. 3.5 mm long. Style 3–8 mm long.
Capsule 4–10 mm long; pedicel 10–12 mm long.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Widely cultivated and occasionally naturalized in grassy and sandstone localities in the Sydney area and farther north. Native of SE Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NC, *LHI
C. comosum cv. 'Variegatum' with creamish striped leaves is more common in cultivation than the green-leaved form, both produce leafy plantlets at apex of inflorescence that take root when coming in contact with the soil.
Text by S. McCune & D. W. Hardin (1994); edited KL Wilson (April 2009)
Taxon concept: P.S. Green (1994)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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