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Dracaena

Vand. ex L. (1767)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Asparagaceae Genus: Dracaena

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs or subshrubs.

Stems: Stems unbranched to many-branched, younger ones with conspicuous leaf scars.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Spirally clustered toward the ends of the branches. Blades sword–shaped to oblong or lanceolate. Base sessile. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in solitary or in clusters arranged in terminal panicles. Flowers bisexual (perfect), numerous. Tepals 6, green, white, or yellow, connate into a well–developed tube or sometimes connate only at base, the lobes subequal. Stamens 6, inserted at base of perianth tube. Ovary superior, 3-celled; ovules 1 per cell; style filiform; stigma capitate or slightly lobed.

Fruit: Globose berry. Seeds 1–3; reniform to subglobose.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Accepted Subtaxa (in Hawai'i) (48)

Dracaena aletriformis (Haw.) Bos
Dracaena angolensis (Welw. ex Carrière) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena angustifolia (Medik.) Roxb.
Dracaena arborea (Willd.) Link
Dracaena arborescens (Cornu ex Gérôme & Labroy) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena aubryana Brongn. ex É.Morren
Dracaena aurea H.Mann
Dracaena auwahiensis (H.St.John) Jankalski
Dracaena cantleyi Baker
Dracaena cincta Baker
Dracaena cinnabari Balf.f.
Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C.Chen
Dracaena concinna Kunth
Dracaena draco (L.) L.
Dracaena erythraeae (Mattei) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena fernaldii (H.St.John) Jankalski
Dracaena floribunda Baker
Dracaena forbesii (O.Deg.) Jankalski
Dracaena fragrans (L.) Ker Gawl.
Dracaena ghiesbreghtii W.Bull ex Blandy
Dracaena goldieana Bullen ex Mast. & T.Moore
Dracaena halapepe (H.St.John) Jankalski
Dracaena halemanuensis Jankalski
Dracaena hawaiiensis (O.Deg. & I.Deg.) Magnacca
Dracaena hyacinthoides (L.) Mabb.
Dracaena liberica (Gérôme & Labroy) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena multiflora Warb. ex P.Sarasin & Sarasin
Dracaena nilotica (Baker) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena pearsonii (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena pethera Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena phrynioides Hook.
Dracaena powellii (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena raffillii (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena reflexa Lam.
Dracaena roxburghiana (Schult. & Schult.f.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena sanderiana Mast.
Dracaena serrulata Baker
Dracaena spicata Roxb.
Dracaena steudneri Engl.
Dracaena suffruticosa (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena surculosa Lindl.
Dracaena trifasciata (Prain) Mabb.
Dracaena umbraculifera Jacq.
Dracaena varians (N.E.Br.) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena volkensii (Gürke) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena yuccifolia Ridl.
Dracaena zeylanica (L.) Mabb.
Dracaena × masseffiana Pennock ex Bos

Uses and Culture

USES

  • For the treatment of hu‘i, wela ikaika, wela kupuni (chills, high fever, etc.) the bark and leaves are use in combination with the root bark of ‘uhaloa (Waltheria indica) and pōpolo (Solanum americanum), and a section of kōkea (white sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum). For ni‘au (ke‘ewai, ‘e‘ewai, "lung trouble/asthma") the treatment includes the use of halapepe bark, root, and leaves, as well as ‘ōhi‘a ‘ai bark (Syzygium malaccense), ‘uhaloa and pōpolo tap root bark, ‘ala‘ala wai nui pehu (Peperomia spp.) stems, noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia), kōkea, niu (coconut, Cocos nucifera), and pia (Hawaiian arrowroot, Tacca leontopetaloides) (Chun 1994:77–79).

  • Soft trunks carved into idols (Hillebrande 1888:443), branches used to decorate altars, including those for Laka (Little & Skomen 1989:86–7); this wood used to represent Kapo (also hula goddess) (Abbott 1992:118). Flowers for lei (Krauss 1993:77).

PROPAGATION/CULTIVATION

  • The fruits of all of the Hawaiian Pleomele species are round berries from 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. They form in large clusters of from 25 to over 200 fruit. The unripe fruits are hard and green or tan in color. As they ripen, they soften and turn orange or red. The fruits generally ripen in the summer and fall. Each berry contains 1 to 3 white or yellow seeds. The seeds are kidney-shaped or somewhat round and less than 1/4 inch long. Culliney notes that seeds from unripe fruit are susceptible to rotting while those from ripe fruit are more resistant to this problem.
  • Culliney and Koebele write that it is possible to harvest an entire stalk containing both ripe and unripe berries and have the fruit continue to ripen for up to 2 months. To do this, place the base of the stalk in water being careful not to submerge the berries. Every few days, slice off about 1/4 inch of the base and change the water.
  • The seeds of Pleomele must be removed from the fleshy fruits. Stratton et al recommend softening the fruits in a plastic bag. This makes the seeds easier to clean. After softening, the fruit flesh can be removed by either placing the fruits in a colander or strainer under running water, or breaking up the fruit by hand in a bowl of water. The lighter pulp will float and can be poured off.
  • The seeds should then be washed thoroughly. They can be treated with a fungicide to reduce rotting and air dried on a paper towel. Lilleeng-Rosenberger uses a wash of Physan 20. Culliney and Koebele recommend soaking the seeds for 1/2 hour in a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. After removal from the bleach solution, soak the seeds for a day in just enough tap water to cover them.
  • Best results are obtained with fresh seed. Plant the seeds in shallow containers in a quick draining mixture. Stratton et al suggests 3 parts #2 perlite to 1 part Sunshine Mix #4. Culliney and Koebele use damp vermiculite and cover the seeds with green sphagnum moss. Remove most of the moss when the seeds begin to germinate.
  • Keep the containers in a covered, shaded area to protect them from rain damage. Culliney and Koebele experienced germination times of 2 to 4 weeks. Stratton's informants give germination times of 5 weeks to 6 months and indicate that the germination rate is usually only 5 to 10%. The seeds rot easily if the medium is too moist or if not pre-treated with fungicide. Transplant as soon as possible.
  • Fresh Pleomele seeds lose viability when stored. If seeds must be stored, the cleaned, air dried seed should be put in an paper bag or envelope and placed in an airtight container with desiccant. Keep the container in a cool place at 25% relative humidity. (Culliney 1999; Lamb 1981; Stratton 1998; Wagner 1990)
  • Pleomele can be grown from cuttings. (Stratton 1998) [Data from Herring, E. C., & Criley, R. A. (2003). The Hawaiian Native Plant Propagation Web Site: Developing a Webbased Information Resource. HortTechnology, 13(3), 545-548. https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawnprop/]

Natural History

Island Status

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Mant. Pl.: 9 (1767)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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