ABSTRACT
Chlorophytum comosum (commonly known as spider plant) along with several other species comprise indoor plants. A few Chlorophytum species possess strong pharmacological activity and are little known. These include C. arundinaceum, C. attenuatum, C. borivilianum, C. laxum, C. tuberosum, and C. breviscapum, all commonly known as 'Safed musii' because of their white tuberous roots (Fig. 6.1). Out of these six species, C. arundinaceum and C. borivilianum are the most important species of commerce. The economic part of the herb is roots, which are used to cure general debility. The roots are usually consumed in a powdered form with milk or mixed with sweet preparations. The price of dried roots has increased in recent years because tuberous roots of C. borivilianum are widely used as an important ingredient in several aphrodisiac formulations in India (Kirtikar and Basu, 1975; Ramawat et al., 1998).
