Dracaena (/drəˈsiːnə/[2]) is a genus of about 200 species of trees and succulent shrubs.[3] 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,[4] subfamily Nolinoideae (formerly the family Ruscaceae).[5][6] It has also formerly been separated (sometimes with Cordyline) into the family Dracaenaceae or placed in the Agavaceae (now Agavoideae).
Dracaena | |
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Dracaena draco in Icod de los Vinos | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asparagaceae |
Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
Genus: | Dracaena Vand. ex L.[1] |
Diversity | |
c. 200 species | |
Synonyms[1] | |
|
The name dracaena is derived from the romanized form of the Ancient Greek δράκαινα – drakaina, "female dragon".[7]
The majority of the species are native to Africa, southern Asia through to northern Australia, with two species in tropical Central America.
Description
editSpecies of Dracaena have a secondary thickening meristem in their trunk, termed Dracaenoid thickening by some authors,[citation needed] 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).[citation needed]
Many species of Dracaena are kept as houseplants due to tolerance of lower light and sparse watering.[8]
Selected species
edit- 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.
- Dracaena arborea (Willd.) Link
- Dracaena arborescens (Cornu ex Gérôme & Labroy) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena aubrytiana (Carrière) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena aurea H.Mann
- Dracaena bagamoyensis (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena ballyi (L.E.Newton) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena braunii Engl. (syn. D. litoralis)
- Dracaena cinnabari Balf.f. – Socotra dragon tree
- Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C.Chen (syn. D. loureiroi)
- Dracaena draco (L.) L. – Canary Islands dragon tree
- Dracaena eilensis (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena ellenbeckiana Engl. - Kedong Dracaena (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda)[9][10][11]
- Dracaena elliptica Thunb. & Dalm.
- Dracaena fernaldii (H.St.John) Jankalski
- Dracaena forbesii (O.Deg.) Jankalski
- Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl. (syn. D. deremensis) – striped dracaena, compact dracaena, corn plant, cornstalk dracaena
- Dracaena ghiesbreghtii W.Bull ex J.J.Blandy
- Dracaena goldieana Bullen ex Mast. & T.Moore
- Dracaena halapepe (H.St.John) Jankalski
- Dracaena hallii (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena hanningtonii Baker (syn. D. oldupai)
- Dracaena jayniana Wilkin & Suksathan
- Dracaena kaweesakii Wilkin & Suksathan[12]
- Dracaena konaensis (H.St.John) Jankalski
- Dracaena malawiana Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena mannii Baker
- Dracaena masoniana (Chahin.) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena ombet Heuglin ex Kotschy & Peyr. – Gabal Elba dragon tree
- Dracaena ovata Ker Gawl.
- Dracaena pearsonii (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena pethera Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena pinguicula (P.R.O.Bally) 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 sanderiana Engl. – ribbon dracaena, marketed as "lucky bamboo"
- Dracaena serrulata Baker – Yemen dragon tree
- Dracaena singularis (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena spathulata Byng & Christenh.
- Dracaena steudneri Engl.
- Dracaena stuckyi (God.-Leb.) 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 transvaalensis Baker
- Dracaena trifasciata (Prain) Mabb.
- Dracaena umbraculifera Jacq.
- Dracaena viridiflora Engl. & K.Krause
- Dracaena zeylanica (L.) Mabb.
Formerly regarded as dracaena
editThis section needs to be updated.(June 2017) |
- 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.)[13]
Uses
editOrnamental
editSome 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.[14] Leaves at the base will naturally yellow and drop off, leaving growth at the top and a bare stem.[14] Dracaena are vulnerable to mealybugs and scale insects.[14]
Other
editA 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 Calamus rattan palms, formerly placed in Daemonorops.[a] It also has social functions in marking graves, sacred sites, and farm plots in many African societies.[16]
Gallery
edit-
Dracaena tamaranae - native to Gran Canaria
References
editNotes
editCitations
edit- ^ a b "Genus: Dracaena Vand. ex L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2010-01-19. Archived from the original on 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
- ^ Sunset Western Garden Book. Sunset Publishing Corporation. 1995. ISBN 978-0-376-03851-7.
- ^ "Dracaena Vand. ex L." Plants of the World Online. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ Coombes 2012, p. 127.
- ^ Chase, Reveal & Fay 2009, pp. 132–136.
- ^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2016, pp. 1–20.
- ^ Merriam-Webster Dictionary
- ^ James Wong (2021-05-09). "Fancy a plant that will grow old with you?". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ "Dracaena ellenbeckiana". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- ^ "Dracaena ellenbeckiana (Kedong Dracaena)". exoten-garten.de.tl (in German). 2009. Retrieved 30 Jan 2016.
- ^ "Kedong Dracaena - Dracaena ellenbeckiana". Dave's Garden. 2005. Retrieved 30 Jan 2016.
- ^ Wilkin et al. 2013, pp. 101–112.
- ^ "Dracaena names". Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ a b c Peerless, Veronica (2017). How Not to Kill Your Houseplant. DK Penguin Random House. pp. 68–69.
- ^ Sunderland & Dransfield 2002.
- ^ Sheridan 2008, pp. 491–521.
Sources
edit- Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2016). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 181 (1): 1–20. doi:10.1111/boj.12385.
- Chase, M.W.; Reveal, J.L. & Fay, M.F. (2009). "A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 132–136. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00999.x.
- Coombes, Allen J. (2012). The A to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants. Timber Press. ISBN 978-1-60469-196-2.
- Sunderland, Terry C.H.; Dransfield, John (2002). Florentino O.; Dransfield, John; Tesoro; N. Manokaran (eds.). "Species Profiles Rattans". Rattan, Current Research Issues and Prospects for Conservation and Sustainable Development. 14: 23–34.
- Sheridan, M. (2008). "Tanzanian ritual perimetrics and African landscapes: the case of Dracaena". International Journal of African Historical Studies. 41 (3): 491–521. JSTOR 40282529.
- Wilkin, Paul; Suksathan, Piyakaset; Keeratikiat, Kaweesak; van Welzen, Peter; Wiland-Szymanska, Justyna (2013). "A new species from Thailand and Burma, Dracaena kaweesakii Wilkin & Suksathan (Asparagaceae subfamily Nolinoideae)". PhytoKeys (26): 101–112. doi:10.3897/phytokeys.26.5335. PMC 3817424. PMID 24194672.
Further reading
edit- Waterhouse, J. T. (1987). "The phylogenetic significance of Dracaena-type growth". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 109: 129–138.
External links
edit- Media related to Dracaena at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Dracaena at Wikispecies
- Socotra botany Archived 2011-06-11 at the Wayback Machine. Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.