Dracaenas of the World

Dracaena L., a member of the family Ruscaceae, was first founded by Sprengei in 1826. It had evolved as a tightly-close relative of Sansevieria Thunb. Both genera can hardly be distinguished using flowers and stem characteristics. This is due to the diversity of their fragrant flowers and fleshy fruits are overlapping. Only fruit flesh, terminal scar, beak or withered remains of the style as well as pollen morphology are different. Often, the thickness of leaves are used for vegetative identification of these genera. Between Cordyline and the Dracaena, the latter has parallel nerves while the former has pinnate nervature.

Dracaena means Dragon Goddess or a female Dragon. The first named species, Dracaena draco has been used as a medicinal plant in Europe and China. The species is also the symbol of Canary Islands.

Dracaena fragrans, D. goldiana, D. surculosa, D. san-derana and D. ellenbeckiana have variegated forms used as indoor plants. While other species, such as Dracaena cincta, D. concinna, D. steudneri, D. reflexa, D. angustifolia, D. aletriformis, D. cochinchinensis, D. cambodiana, D. yuccifolia and D. draco are popular as garden plants.

The genus Dracaena comprises of over 100 species. It has vast diversity of leaf shape, and structure, leaf colors and growth habits. Many species grow into elegant trees: such as Dracaena cambodiana, D. draco and D. multiflora while others are shrubby: such as D. cincta and D. surculosa. A few are stemless like D. phryoides.

Leaf color can range from shades of green, silver grey, yellow and red. Some species are sunloving while others are shade plants. From the variation within the genus, it is thus suitable to be developed into a new group of gorgeous ornamental crop.

Lifted from Newsletter of the Ornamental Plant Variety Developers Club 2000. First decade Anniversary Special Edition.