Dracaena fragrans

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

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Description

Genus Dracaena

Plants treelike, shrubby, or subshrubby. Stems simple or branched, woody. Leaves crowded toward apex of stems or spaced along distal part of stems, sessile or petiolate ; petiole to 8 cm, base amplexicaul ; leaf blade usually sword-shaped to elliptic-lanceolate, veins truly parallel from base, lateral veins absent. Inflorescence terminal , branched, rarely simple. Flowers bisexual , clustered, sometimes solitary; pedicel articulate . Perianth cylindric , campanulate , or funnelform ; tube short; lobes 6, similar. Stamens 6, inserted in tube or throat of perianth; anthers versatile. Ovary 3-loculed; ovules 1 or 2 per locule. Style slender; stigma capitate or 3-lobed. Fruit a berry, globose , 1--3-seeded. Seeds not coated with phytomelanin .

About 50 species: mainly in tropical regions of Africa and Asia; six species in China.

Dracaena, as treated in Dracaenaceae by Bos (in Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 3: 240. 1998), includes the genus Sansevieria Thunberg from Africa to S Asia. If this arrangement is accepted, Dracaena probably comprises from 100--150 species. Dracaena in Asia has been studied very little for several decades. Consequently there are many taxononomic and nomenclatural problems and large numbers of unidentified specimens in herbaria. The present account attempts to identify some of the problems affecting the Chinese species, which can only be properly understood in the context of an in-depth study on the genus throughout tropical Asia.[1]

Physical Description

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,412 meters (0 to 4,633 feet).[2]

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 9-12" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 6.1 • Maximum pH: 7.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : Bot. Mag. 27: t. 1081. 1808

Name verified on 05-Nov-1997 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 05-Nov-1997

Similar Species

Members of the genus Dracaena

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 267 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

D. acaulis · D. acuminata · D. acutissima · D. adamii · D. afromontana · D. afzelii · D. albo-rosea · D. aletriformis · D. alliaria · D. americana · D. anerleyense · D. angustifolia · D. angustifolia var. honoriae · D. arborea (Tree Dracaena) · D. 'Art' · D. atropurpurea · D. aubryana (Dwarf Dracaena) · D. aurantiaca · D. aurea (Golden Dracaena) · D. aurora · D. australis · D. 'Baby' · D. bakeri · D. 'Barrantes' · D. bellula · D. bequaertii · D. betschleriana · D. bicolor · D. boerhavii · D. boscii · D. brachyphylla · D. brachystachys · D. brasiliensis · D. braunii · D. bueana · D. buettneri · D. butayei · D. calocephala · D. cambodiana (Cambodia Dragon Tree) · D. camerooniana · D. 'Campo' · D. cantleyi · D. capitulifera · D. cerasifera · D. cernua · D. chelsoni · D. chiniana · D. cincta · D. cinnabari (Dragon's Blood Tree) · D. cochinchinensis (Sword-Leaved Dragontree) · D. compacta · D. concinna (Bois De Chandelle) · D. conferta · D. congensis · D. congesta · D. cooperi · D. coullingii · D. cristula · D. cubensis · D. curtisii · D. cuspidibracteata · D. cylindrica · D. deisteliana · D. densiflora · D. dentata · D. deremensis · D. deremensis 'Warneckii' · D. deremensis 'Green Jewel' · D. deremensis 'Kanzi' · D. deremensis 'Malaika' · D. deremensis 'White Jewel' · D. douceti · D. 'D.' · D. draco (Canary Island Dragon Tree) · D. draco ajgal · D. draco subsp. ajgal · D. dundusanensis · D. ehrenbergii · D. elegans · D. ellenbeckiana (Kedong Dracaena) · D. elliotii · D. elliptica · D. ensata · D. ensifolia · D. erecta · D. excelsa · D. ferrea · D. filamentosa · D. filiformis · D. finlaysonii · D. fischeri · D. floribunda · D. fontanesiana · D. forbesii · D. formosa · D. fragrans (Fragrant Dracaena) · D. fragrans 'Janet Craig Compacta' (Dracaena) · D. fragrans 'Limelight' · D. fragrans 'Lindenii' (Corn Plant) · D. fragrans 'Massangeana' (Ornamental-Leaved Corn Plant)

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Further Reading

• American men of science; a biographical directory, ed. by J. McKeen Cattell and Dean R. Brimhall. Garrison, N.Y., The Science Press, 1921. ENG url p. 619.
• Annales botanices systematicae. Auctore Guilielmo Gerardo Walpers. Lipsiae, Sumtibus F. Hofmeister, 1848-68. LAT url p. 140.
• Annals and magazine of natural history: including zoology, botany and geology London. url p. 19.
• Annual report of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture of the State of Michigan Lansing: The Board, 1862- ENG url p. 56.
• Archiv für Naturgeschichte. Berlin: Nicolai, 1835- GER url p. 331.
• Bos, J. J. 1984. Dracaena in West Africa. Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 84–1:69–76.
• Bos, J. J. et al. 1992. Wild and cultivated Dracaena fragrans. Edinburgh J. Bot. 49:311–331.
• Botanisches Zentralblatt; referierendes Organ für das Gesamtgebiet der Botanik. Jena [etc.]G. Fischer [etc.] GER url p. 105, p. 156, p. 213, p. 301, p. 368, p. 377, p. 42.
• Botanisk tidsskrift / utgivet af den Botaniske forening i København. København: H. Hagerups Forlag, ENG url p. 277.
• Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. ENG url p. 265.
• Bulletin de la Fdration des socits d'horticulture de Belgique. Bruxelles [etc.]1861-1888. FRE url p. 71.
• Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). London: The Museum, 1951-1992. ENG url p. 392.
• Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, ENG url p. 269, p. 300, p. 314, p. 316, p. 321.
• Catalogue of the mycological library of Howard A. Kelly. comp. by Louis C.C. Krieger. Baltimore, Privately printed, 1924. ENG url p. 214.
• Cufodontis, G. 1953–1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta. (F EthiopCuf)
• Davidse, G. et al., eds. 1994. Flora mesoamericana. (F Mesoamer) [cult.].
• Dr. L. Rabenhorst's Kryptogamen-Flora von Deutschland, Oesterreich und der Schweiz Leipzig: E. Kummer, 1884-1966. GER url p. 364.
• Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
• Experiment station record. Washington: G.P.O., 1889-1946. ENG url p. 350.
• Hamburger Garten- und Blumenzeitung. Hamburg: R. Kittler, 1852-1890. GER url p. 118.
• Histologische Beiträge / von Eduard Strasburger. Jena: G. Fischer, 1888-1909. GER url p. 715, p. 716, p. 722.
• Horticulture. Boston, Mass.: Horticulture Pub. Co., c1904- ENG url p. 158, p. 165, p. 381, p. 403, p. 423, p. 427, p. 470, p. 482, p. 542, p. 545, p. 577, p. 767, p. 768, p. 827, p. 837, p. 874, p. 883.
• House plants / by Robert Van Tress. Chicago:Field Museum of Natural History, 1937. ENG url p. 14.
• Howard, R. 1974–1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. (F LAnt)
• Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. (Dict Gard)
• International catalogue of scientific literature. London: Published for the International Council by the Royal Society of London, 1902-1919. ENG url p. 489, p. 823.
• Jahresbericht über das Gebiet der Pflanzenkrankheiten. Berlin: P. Parey, 1907-1917. GER url p. 32, p. 376.
• Journal of mycology. Manhattan, Kan.: [s.n.], 1885-1908. ENG url p. 127, p. 131, p. 138, p. 139, p. 166, p. 267, p. 268, p. 270.
• Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 52 1971 Cambridge, Mass.: Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University [etc.], 1919- ENG url p. 478.
• Just's botanischer jahresbericht. Systematisch geordnetes repertorium der botanischen literatur aller länder. Berlin, Gebr. Borntraeger, 1874-98; GER url p. 107, p. 143, p. 430, p. 529, p. 551, p. 582, p. 69, p. 850, p. 874, p. 88.
• Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953–1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2. (F WT Afr)
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
• Oliver, D. et al., eds. v. 1-3, & W. T. Thiselton Dyer et al., eds. v. 4-10. 1868–1937. Flora of tropical Africa. (F TAfr)
• Papers and proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania. Hobart, Tasmania, The Society. ENG url p. 27.
• Revista do Museu Paulista. São Paulo: Museu Paulista, 1895- POR url p. 448.
• Saldanha, C. J. & D. H. Nicolson. 1976. Flora of Hassan district. (F Hassan)
• Scientific survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands / New York Academy of Sciences. New York, N.Y.: The Academy, 1919- url p. 152.
• Smith, A. C. 1979–1991. Flora vitiensis nova. (F Viti) [= Pleomele fragrans].
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• The gardens' bulletin, Straits Settlements. Singapore: Straits Times Press, 1913-1941. ENG url p. 200, p. 361.
• The living flora of West Virginia, by C.F. Millspaugh. The fossil flora of West Virginia, by David White. [Charleston?1913] ENG url p. 96.
• The parasitic fungi of New Jersey / by Carl A. Schwarze. New Brunswick: New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Stations, 1917. ENG url p. 100, p. 207.
• The weekly florists' review. Chicago: Florists' Pub. Co., 1897-1912. ENG url p. 101, p. 149, p. 155, p. 173, p. 189, p. 19, p. 197, p. 21, p. 221, p. 245, p. 410, p. 42, p. 45, p. 48, p. 527, p. 551, p. 574, p. 579, p. 597, p. 602, p. 634, p. 649, p. 659, p. 66, p. 665, p. 683, p. 695, p. 697, p. 745, p. 75, p. 956.
• Thesaurus litteraturae mycologicae et lichenologicae ratione habita praecipue omnium quae adhuc scripta sunt de mycologia applicata quem congesserunt G. Lindau et P. Sydow. Lipsiis, Fratres Borntraeger, 1908-1917. LAT url p. 504.
• Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. Topeka, Kan.: W.Y. Morgan, 1903- ENG url p. 118.
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• Wochenschrift des Vereines zur Befrderung des Gartenbaues in den Kniglich Preussischen Staaten fr Grtnerei und Pflanzenkunde. Berlin, Wiegandt & Hempel [etc.] GER url p. 287, p. 295.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed December 20, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 11 providers.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 27, 2008)
• World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal December 20, 2007:

• Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad, Herbario del Instituto de Ecología, A.C., México
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Virtual Herbarium Darwin Core format
• Herbarium of the University of Aarhus, The AAU Herbarium Database
• Herbier de la Guyane, Herbier de la Guyane
• Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad
• , Biodiversidad de Costa Rica
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• SysTax, Herbarium Universitat Ulm
• SysTax, SysTax

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2671411
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Kew-304662
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13767386
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:534207-1
• GRIN Nomen Number: 14636
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 507566
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 534207-1
• MoBot NameID: 18404229
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: DRFR2
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 32457

Footnotes

1. Chen Sing-chi, Nicholas J. Turland "Dracaena". in Flora of China Vol. 24 Page 215. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Mean = 544.710 meters (1,787.106 feet), Standard Deviation = 516.730 based on 65 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

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