Tufted herb to c. 60 cm high. Roots tuberous. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, flat to somewhat folded, 20–45 cm long, 6–25 mm wide. Inflorescence spreading to decumbent, becoming pendulous, axis branched. Flowers clustered in bract axis, most aborting or substituted by tufted plantlets, 15–20 mm wide, green to white; perianth segments spreading, 6–9 mm long, 3-nerved; stamens subequal or shorter than perianth; style 3–8 mm long. Capsule to c. 7 mm wide. Seed 2.0–3.5 mm diam, testa black.
GleP, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, CVU, EGL, HSF. Also naturalised in WA, Qld, NSW. Native to South Africa.
Widely cultivated as a house plant, with variegated forms common in cultivation. Both the variegated ‘Variegatum’ and non-variegated form are naturalised around Melbourne.
Chlorophytum comosum often produces adventitious plantlets at the apex of inflorescences that are capable of producing roots.
