Dracaena (plant)

Dracaena (plant)
Dracaena is a genus of about 120 species of trees and succulent shrubs. The formerly accepted genera Pleomele and Sansevieria are now included in Dracaena. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae). It has also formerly been separated (sometimes with Cordyline) into the family Dracaenaceae or placed in the Agavaceae (now Agavoideae).
The name dracaena is derived from the romanized form of the Ancient Greek – drakaina, "female dragon".
The majority of the species are native to Africa, southern Asia through to northern Australia, with two species in tropical Central America.
Description
Species of Dracaena have a secondary thickening meristem in their trunk, termed Dracaenoid thickening by some authors, which is quite different from the thickening meristem found in dicotyledonous plants. This characteristic is shared with members of the Agavoideae and Xanthorrhoeoideae among other members of the Asparagales.
Dracaena species can be classified in two growth types: treelike dracaenas (Dracaena fragrans, Dracaena draco, Dracaena cinnabari), which have aboveground stems that branch from nodes after flowering, or if the growth tip is severed, and rhizomatous dracaenas (Dracaena trifasciata, Dracaena angolensis), which have underground rhizomes and leaves on the surface (ranging from straplike to cylindrical).
Many species of Dracaena are kept as houseplants due to tolerance of lower light and sparse watering.
Species
Plants of the World Online currently includes:
Dracaena acaulis Baker
Dracaena acutissima Hua
Dracaena adamii Hepper
Dracaena aethiopica (Thunb.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena afromontana Mildbr.
Dracaena aletriformis (Haw.) Bos (syn. D. latifolia)
Dracaena americana Donn.Sm. – Central America dragon tree
Dracaena angolensis (Welw. ex Carrière) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena angustifolia (Medik.) Roxb. (syn. D. australasica, D. ensiformis, D. fruticosa, D. linearifolia, D. menglaensis)
Dracaena arborea (Willd.) Link
Dracaena arborescens (Cornu ex Gérôme & Labroy) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena ascendens (L.E.Newton) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena aubryana Brongn. ex É.Morren (syn. D. thalioides)
Dracaena aubrytiana (Carrière) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena aurea H.Mann
Dracaena bacularis (Pfennig ex A.Butler & Jankalski) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena bagamoyensis (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena ballyi (L.E.Newton) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena bhitalae (Webb & Newton) Takaw.-Ny. & Mucina
Dracaena bicolor Hook.
Dracaena borneensis (Merr.) Jankalski
Dracaena brachyphylla Kurz
Dracaena braunii Engl. (syn. D. litoralis)
Dracaena breviflora Ridl.
Dracaena bueana Engl.
Dracaena bugandana Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena bukedea Takaw.-Ny. & Mucina
Dracaena burdettii (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena burmanica (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena bushii Damen
Dracaena calocephala Bos
Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep.
Dracaena camerooniana Baker
Dracaena canaliculata (Carrière) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena cantleyi Baker
Dracaena caulescens (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena cerasifera Hua
Dracaena chahinianii (Webb & Myklebust) Takaw.-Ny. & Mucina
Dracaena chiniana I.M.Turner
Dracaena cincta Baker
Dracaena cinnabari Balf.f. – Socotra dragon tree
Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C.Chen (syn. D. loureiroi)
Dracaena concinna Kunth
Dracaena conferta Ridl.
Dracaena congoensis Hua
Dracaena conspicua (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena cristula W.Bull
Dracaena cubensis Vict.
Dracaena curtisii Ridl.
Dracaena cuspidata Ridl.
Dracaena dawei (Stapf) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena deremensis (L.) Ker Gawl. (syn. D. fragrans) – striped dracaena, compact dracaena, corn plant, cornstalk dracaena
Dracaena dhofarica (T.A.McCoy & Lavranos) Takaw.-Ny. & Mucina
Dracaena dooneri (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena downsii (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena draco (L.) L. – Canary Islands dragon tree
Dracaena dumetescens (L.E.Newton) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena ebracteata (Cav.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena eilensis (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena ellenbeckiana Engl. - Kedong Dracaena (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda)
Dracaena elliptica Thunb. & Dalm. (syn. D. gracilis, D. javanica, D. maculata)
Dracaena erythraeae (Mattei) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena fasciata (Cornu ex Gérôme & Labroy) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena fernaldii (H.St.John) Jankalski
Dracaena finlaysonii Baker
Dracaena floribunda Baker
Dracaena fontanesiana Schult. & Schult.f.
Dracaena forbesii (O.Deg.) Jankalski
Dracaena forskaliana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl. (syn. D. deremensis) – striped dracaena, compact dracaena, corn plant, cornstalk dracaena
Dracaena francisii (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena frequens (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena glomerata Baker
Dracaena goldieana Bullen ex Mast. & T.Moore
Dracaena gracillima (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena granulata Hook.f.
Dracaena griffithii Regel
Dracaena haemanthoides Bos ex Damen
Dracaena halapepe (H.St.John) Jankalski
Dracaena halemanuensis Jankalski
Dracaena hallii (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena hanningtonii Baker (syn. D. oldupai)
Dracaena hargeisana (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena hewittii Ridl.
Dracaena hokouensis G.Z.Ye
Dracaena hosei (Ridl.) Jankalski
Dracaena humiflora (D.J.Richards) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena hyacinthoides (L.) Mabb.
Dracaena impressivenia Yu H.Yan & H.J.Guo
Dracaena itumei (Mbugua) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena jayniana Wilkin & Suksathan
Dracaena kaweesakii Wilkin & Suksathan
Dracaena kirkii Baker
Dracaena konaensis (H.St.John) Jankalski
Dracaena kupensis Mwachala, Cheek, Eb.Fisch. & Muasya
Dracaena laevifolia (R.H.Webb & L.E.Newton) Takaw.-Ny. & Mucina
Dracaena lancea Thunb. & Dalm.
Dracaena lancifolia (Ridl.) Jankalski
Dracaena lavranii (Webb & Myklebust) Takaw.-Ny. & Mucina
Dracaena laxissima Engl.
Dracaena liberica (Gérôme & Labroy) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena longiflora (Sims) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena longifolia Ridl.
Dracaena longistyla (la Croix) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena lunatifolia (L.E.Newton) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena maingayi Hook.f.
Dracaena malawiana Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena mannii Baker
Dracaena marina Bos ex Damen
Dracaena masoniana (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena mokoko Mwachala & Cheek
Dracaena multiflora Warb. ex P.Sarasin & Sarasin
Dracaena newtoniana (T.G.Forrest) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena nilotica (Baker) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena nitens Welw. ex Baker
Dracaena nitida (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena novoguineensis Gibbs
Dracaena nyangensis Pellegr.
Dracaena ombet Heuglin ex Kotschy & Peyr. – Gabal Elba dragon tree
Dracaena ovata Ker Gawl.
Dracaena pachyphylla Kurz
Dracaena parva (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena parviflora Baker
Dracaena patens (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena pearsonii (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena pedicellata (la Croix) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena penangensis Ridl.
Dracaena pendula Ridl.
Dracaena perrotii (O.Warburg) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena perrottetii Baker
Dracaena pethera Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena petiolata Hook.f.
Dracaena pfisteri (D.J.Richards) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena phanerophlebia Baker
Dracaena phillipsiae (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena phrynioides Hook.
Dracaena pinguicula (P.R.O.Bally) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena porteri Baker
Dracaena powellii (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena powysii (L.E.Newton) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena praetermissa Bos
Dracaena purpurea (Ridl.) Jankalski
Dracaena raffillii (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena reflexa Lam. – Pleomele dracaena or "Song of India"
D. reflexa var. marginata (syn. D. marginata) – red-edged dracaena or Madagascar dragon tree
Dracaena rockii (H.St.John) Jankalski
Dracaena rosulata Mwachala & Eb.Fisch.
Dracaena roxburghiana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena sambiranensis (H.Perrier) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena sanderiana Engl. – ribbon dracaena, marketed as "lucky bamboo"
Dracaena sarawakensis (W.W.Sm.) Jankalski
Dracaena scabra Bos
Dracaena scimitariformis (D.J.Richards) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena senegambica (Baker) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena serpenta Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena serrulata Baker – Yemen dragon tree
Dracaena siamica Ridl.
Dracaena singapurensis Ridl.
Dracaena singularis (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena sinus-simiorum (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena sordida (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena spathulata Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena specksii (Webb & Myklebust) Takaw.-Ny. & Mucina
Dracaena spicata Roxb.
Dracaena steudneri Engl.
Dracaena stuckyi (God.-Leb.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena subspicata (Baker) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena subtilis (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena suffruticosa (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena surculosa Lindl. – spotted or gold dust dracaena. Formerly D. godseffiana
Dracaena tamaranae Marrero Rodr., R.S.Almeira & M.Gonzáles-Martin
Dracaena terniflora Roxb.
Dracaena testudinea Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena tholloniana Hua
Dracaena thwaitesii Regel
Dracaena timorensis Kunth
Dracaena trachystachys Hook.f.
Dracaena transvaalensis Baker
Dracaena trifasciata (Prain) Mabb.
Dracaena umbraculifera Jacq.
Dracaena umbratica Ridl.
Dracaena usambarensis Engl.
Dracaena varians (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena viridiflora Engl. & K.Krause
Dracaena volkensii (Gürke) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena wakaensis Damen & Quiroz
Dracaena waltersiae Damen
Dracaena xiphophylla Baker
Dracaena yuccifolia Ridl.
Dracaena zebra Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena zeylanica (L.) Mabb.
Formerly regarded as dracaena
Asparagus asparagoides (L.) Druce (as D. medeoloides L.f.)
Cordyline australis (G.Forst.) Endl. (as D. australis G.Forst.)
Cordyline fruticosa (L.) A.Chev. (as D. terminalis Lam.)
Cordyline indivisa (G.Forst.) Steud. (as D. indivisa G.Forst.)
Cordyline obtecta (Graham) Baker (as D. obtecta Graham)
Cordyline stricta (Sims) Endl. (as D. stricta Sims)
Dianella ensifolia (L.) DC. (as D. ensifolia L.)
Liriope graminifolia (L.) Baker (as D. graminifolia L.)
Lomandra filiformis (Thunb.) Britten (as D. filiformis Thunb.)
Uses
Ornamental
Some shrubby species, such as D. fragrans, D. surculosa, D. marginata, and D. sanderiana, are popular as houseplants. Many of these are toxic to pets, though not humans, according to the ASPCA among others. Rooted stem cuttings of D. sanderiana are sold as "lucky bamboo", although only superficially resembling true bamboos.
Dracaena houseplants like humidity and moderate watering. They can tolerate periods of drought but the tips of the leaves may turn brown. Leaves at the base will naturally yellow and drop off, leaving growth at the top and a bare stem. Dracaena are vulnerable to mealybugs and scale insects.
Other
A naturally occurring bright red resin, dragon's blood, is collected from D. draco and, in ancient times, from D. cinnabari. Modern dragon's blood is however more likely to be from the unrelated Daemonorops rattan palms. It also has social functions in marking graves, sacred sites and farm plots in many African societies
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
Further reading
External links
Socotra botany . Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
Asparagaceae genera