Dracaena fragrans

Dracaena fragrans

Dracaena fragrans is a species of the genus of dragon trees (Dracaena ) in the family of asparagus plants ( Asparagaceae ). The specific epithet means fragrans, fragrant '.

Description

The evergreen forms the natural habitat of an up to 6 feet tall growing strain. In room Dracaena fragrans culture is rarely higher than 1.50 to 2 m. The seated, narrow lance-shaped leaves are 45-50 cm long and 5 cm wide. The leaves are dark green in the wild species and can be variegated depending on the variety.

In the natural habitat are rich flowering until May, although the heyday of March, but made inconspicuous racemose inflorescences. If an inflorescence formed from the terminal end bud, lateral buds take over the stem axis vegetative growth; So the plant branches after flowering. The flowers are green and white but an aromatic scent from. A flower formation occurs in the culture as a houseplant but are very rare.

Systematics and distribution

The home of Dracaena fragrans extends in tropical Africa from Sierra Leone in the west to Ethiopia in the Northeast and Malawi in the southeast. Making it one of the typical representatives of the Paläotropis.

Dracaena fragrans was first described in 1768 by Carl Linnaeus and later addition of the English botanist John Bellenden Ker Gawler -. The genus name is derived from the Greek drakaina ( female dragon, serpent ). The species name refers to the aromatic scent of the flowers of the plant.