Origin and Habitat: Tropical east Africa (Kenya, and Tanzania).
Altitude range: 30-600 metres above sea level.
Habitat and ecology: This species grows in dry bushland and thicket.

• Sansevieria gracilis N.E.Br.

• Sansevieria gracilis var. humbertiana (Guillaumin) Mbugua
• Sansevieria humbertiana Guillaumin

Description: Sansevieria gracilisSN|33254]]SN|33254]] is a caulescent, herbaceous specie slightly ascending to spreading or trailing in cultivation. It forms rosettes of up to twelve conical, inrolled, light green leaves arranged spirally. The leaf surface has darker narrow transverse bands and longitudinal lines. It has a delightful, intensely sweet scented flower. The plant spreads via aerial or subsurface stolons, eventually forming mats of leaves.
Derivation of specific name: Latin gracilis = thin, slim, slender, delicate referring to the leaves. 
Stems: Absent or short up to 2.5-8 cm tall, erect, branching above ground (usually 1–2 branches per plant), eventually spreading by means of runners. Runners slightly ascending, up to 30(–90) cm long, 0.6–1(–1.7) cm thick, often lifted over the ground by strong roots, covered with adpressed ovate very acute and somewhat spine-pointed sheaths 1-4.5 cm long, of which the upper gradually pass into the leaves, at first green with white margins, withering to white.
Leaves: 6-12 to a rosette, 22-80 cm long, to 0.6 – 1 cm thick, closely packed, spiralled, ascending or spreading, or curved or slightly sinuous, firmly flexible, not rigid, smooth, inner or fully developed leaves with a groove (concave) on the upper face for up for 5-12 cm at the base, very rounded on the back, the rest cylindric, terete, gradually tapering, deep green with narrow, darker bands on the younger leaves or interrupted by longitudinal lines. The outer leaves of each tuft much shorter than the inner, concave down the face, very rounded on the back. Tip 2-6 mm long very acute, white or brownish. Margins of the basal sheaths with membranous white' edges.
Inflorescence: A loose spike-like raceme 15-60 cm long. Stalk light green, 2–4 cm in diameter; flowers 2 per cluster, ascending; lower inflorescence bracts 2–3, 2–4 cm long, membranous, tapering to an acute point on the lower half or two-thirds; bracteoles membranous, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 2–3 mm long, acute, spreading; pedicels 1–2 mm long, with the persistent part usually formed by the tapering base of the flower-tube.
Flowers: In pairs, white, fragrant, the tube 2-3.7 cm long, the lobes 1-1.2 cm, linear, obtuse. The deciduous part usually formed by the tapering base of the flower-tube being scarcely pedicel-like.
Fruit: A globose berry.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Nicholas Edward Brown: "Sansevieria - a monograph of all the known species (with plates)." In: Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Heft 5. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 1915, S. 204 <http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11492726#page/217/mode/1up>
2) Urs Eggli “Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Monocotyledons” Springer Science & Business Media, 06 December 2012
3) James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey “The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification of Plants Cultivated in Europe, Both Out-of-Doors and Under Glass” Cambridge University Press, 11 August 2011
4) Geoffrey Mwachala & Paul Mbugua “Flora of Tropical East Africa” 2007
5) Kew Bulletin, 204, 1915.
6) Lamb & Lamb, “Illustrated reference on cacti and other succulents” 4: t. 698, 1975
7) Morgenstern “Sansevierias”, t. 34-5, 1979.
8) L.E. Newton in “Ill. Handbook Succ. Plants” 1: 266, 2001.
9) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton “Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names” Springer Science & Business Media, 29 June 2013
10) R.J. Hodgkiss “The Dragon's Blood Tree Page Dracaenaceae” retrieved 05 October 2016 from <http://succulent-plant.com/families/dracaenaceae.html>

Cultivation and Propagation: Sansevieria gracilisSN|33254]]SN|33254]] are easy to cultivate, but slow growing and requires warm temperatures to grow. It can tolerate shade, heat and dry conditions and grows well in almost any collection. Will thrive on any soil, under any light intensity and with any amount of water. Can be wintered in a warm or cool environment with extremely rare watering. Cultivated plants tend to leave their pot as the stolons grow outward. With it's growth habit, this Sanseveria is perfect for a hanging basket or very wide pot.
Soil: In cultivation, S. gracilis, like most xerophytic plants, grows best in porous, well drained soil. Use a soil mix consisting of a combination of inorganic and organic ingredients. Gravel, perlite, vermiculite, and decomposed granite are commonly used to add weight and improve drainage, while bark chips and coconut coir or husks are used for moisture retention. Always underpot sansevierias.
Moisture requirements: The plants are very drought tolerant and are watered about every other week during the growing season. During the winter months they are watered once a month. Water sparingly and not at all as temperatures dip in winter but can tolerate going months between watering. Excessive watering will cause the fleshy roots to rot, so it is essential that the soil is allowed to dry sufficiently between waterings
Fertilization: They are fertilized once during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer.
Light requirements: Will tolerate low light levels but grows best and flowers if given bright light and even tolerates full sun. Under low light conditions the leaves may become etiolated, evident through a darker green colouration of the leaves, which become longer and thinner than usual. In the garden In mild to tropical climates it prefers semishade or shade and it is not fussy.
Temperature requirements: It is best to avoid freezing temperatures. If growing outdoors in frost free areas keep in a covered patio or under an area where plants do not receive winter rainfall. In-ground plants can tolerate light freezes if covered by deciduous tree leaf.
Heat Tolerance: Excellent.
Propagation: It spreads relatively slowly, by stolons with new plants on the ends. Vegetative propagation by division or by leaf cutting is the preferred method taken at any time. This can be done by removing and rooting the plantlets produced at the end of each stolon. Since the plantlets grow a rosette of leaves before beginning root growth, when rooting plantlets, it is very important that plantlet is not removed before it has developed stilt roots to a length of at least 3 cm. Once stilt roots have been grown to sufficient length, however, the stolon can be cut at any point and the new plant can be potted in slightly moist porous soil. Cuttings should be at least 5 cm long and inserted in moist sand. A new plantlet will emerge at the cut edge of the leaf.