- dracaena
-
/dreuh see"neuh/, n.1. any treelike tropical plant of the genus Dracaena, many species of which are cultivated as ornamentals for their showy leaves.2. any plant of the closely related genus Cordyline.Also, dracena.[ < NL (Linnaeus) < Gk drákaina, fem. of drákon DRAGON]
* * *
Any of about 50–80 species of ornamental foliage plants that make up the genus Dracaena, in the agave family, native primarily to the Old World tropics.Most have short stalks and narrow, sword-shaped leaves; some have taller stalks and resemble trees. The small flowers are red, yellow, or green. D. sanderiana and D. fragrans are often grown as houseplants. The ornamental dragon tree (D. draco) of the Canary Islands bears orange fruit. Its trunk contains a red gum, called dragon's blood, that was formerly used in medicines.* * *
▪ plant genusgenus of ornamental foliage plants in the family Rusacaceae, consisting of about 100 species native primarily to the Old World tropics. Most species have short stalks and narrow, sword-shaped leaves, but some have taller stalks and resemble trees with crowns of leaves. The small flowers are red, yellow, or green. The berrylike fruit contains one to three seeds.Dracaena sanderiana, with white-edged leaves, and D. fragrans, with yellow leaf edges or white stripes, are commonly cultivated as houseplants. The dragon tree (D. draco) of the Canary Islands, an ornamental tree with orange fruit, can grow 18 m (60 feet) tall and 6 m wide. The trunk contains a red gum, called dragon's blood, that was formerly used in medicines.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
