Aspidistra

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Aspidistra is a genus seven species of plants in the family Ruscaceae, formerly treated in either the Liliaceae or the Convallariaceae . They are native in southern China and the eastern Himalaya. They are tough plants with strap-shaped leathery dark green leaves, growing up to 1 m tall.

Species

• Aspidistra elatior (Aspidistra, Iron plant, barroom plant, cast-iron plant)
• Aspidistra caespitosa
• Aspidistra lurida
• Aspidistra minutiflora (Chinese Ribbon Plant)
• Aspidistra typica
• Aspidistra linearifolia
• Aspidistra lurida

Cultivation and uses

Aspidistra elatior is a popular houseplant, grown for its ability to survive neglect and very shady indoor conditions. George Orwell satirized it for being popular among middle-class England in his novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936).