| Dracaena eilensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
| Genus: | Dracaena |
| Species: | D. eilensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Dracaena eilensis | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Dracaena eilensis, synonym Sansevieria eilensis, [1] is a species of succulent [2] plant native to a small region of Somalia near the town of Eyl. The species was collected in 1973 by John Lavranos. [3]
Dracaena eilensis is a slow growing plant with rough, cylindrical, downward curving leaves which arise from an underground rhizome. A mature plant typically has 2 to 3 leaves, which are succulent and between 7–12 cm long and 1.9-2.5 cm thick.
The leaves are typically a light bluish-green colour with regular bands of white. The leaves are also marked by several green longitudinal lines, marking areas where the leaf will fold in on itself during drought, or swell after watering.
The leaves change morphology dramatically as the plant grows. Young plants have a deep channel, which runs the full length of each leaf, and has reddish-brown margins edged with a papery brown cuticle. As the plant matures, the edges of newer leaves roll together to form a smooth cylindrical leaf with a dried papery cuticle at the tip and base of each leaf. [4]
Dracaena eilensis flowers are borne on a spike-like raceme approximately 30 cm long.
Dracaena eilensis is found only in a small region near Eyl. This region receives less than 100 mm rainfall annually, [5] which is unusually dry even among xerophytic sansevierias. [6] The air temperature in this region ranges between 22-35 °C while the soil temperature is typically 24-27 °C. [6]
Dracaena eilensis is rarely found in cultivation. The plant is extremely slow growing, and requires warm temperatures and bright light to grow, making commercial cultivation unviable. Limited cultivation of D. eilensis using micropropagation has been successfully employed by collectors and enthusiasts, but as of writing, D. eilensis is not available from any commercial sources. [7]
D. eilensis, like most xerophytic Dracaena, grows best in porous, well drained soil. Excessive watering will cause the fleshy roots to rot, so it is essential that the soil is allowed to dry sufficiently between waterings. [4] [8] Many growers prefer a coarse potting mix consisting of a combination of inorganic and organic ingredients. Gravel, perlite, vermiculite, and decomposed granite are commonly used to add weight and improve drainage, while bark chips and coconut coir or husks are used for moisture retention. Such a porous mix will prevent over watering and provide ample aeration, but requires more frequent watering to prevent over drying.
Pachypodium is a genus of succulent spine-bearing trees and shrubs, native to Madagascar and Africa. It belongs to the family Apocynaceae.
Pachypodium ambongense is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae. It was first published as a species of the genus Pachypodium in 1924 by the botanist Henri Louis Poisson.
Pachypodium bicolor is a species of plant in the family Apocynaceae.
Pachypodiumhabitats consist of isolated, specialized, micro–environmental niches, generally xeric, rocky, frost-free areas within parts of western Madagascar and southern Africa. Pachypodium species are often indifferent to the regional ecological, biotic zone of vegetation, a fact which explains some of Pachypodium morphology and architecture. The large scale vegetation zones are in some cases irrelevant to the micro-environments of Pachypodium, in the sense that the xeric niches may be embedded in larger mesic biomes.
A plant cutting is a piece of a plant that is used in horticulture for vegetative (asexual) propagation. A piece of the stem or root of the source plant is placed in a suitable medium such as moist soil. If the conditions are suitable, the plant piece will begin to grow as a new plant independent of the parent, a process known as striking. A stem cutting produces new roots, and a root cutting produces new stems. Some plants can be grown from leaf pieces, called leaf cuttings, which produce both stems and roots. The scions used in grafting are also called cuttings.
Gonialoe variegata, also known as tiger aloe and partridge-breasted aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is an evergreen succulent perennial indigenous to South Africa and Namibia. It is common in cultivation.
Sansevieria is a historically recognized genus of flowering plants, native to Africa, notably Madagascar, and southern Asia, now included in the genus Dracaena on the basis of molecular phylogenetic studies. Common names for the 70 or so species formerly placed in the genus include mother-in-law's tongue, devil's tongue, jinn's tongue, bow string hemp, snake plant and snake tongue. In the APG III classification system, Dracaena is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae. It has also been placed in the former family Dracaenaceae.
Duvalia is a succulent plant genus in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, in the family Apocynaceae (dogbane).
Dracaena fragrans, is a flowering plant species that is native throughout tropical Africa, from Sudan south to Mozambique, west to Côte d'Ivoire and southwest to Angola, growing in upland regions at 600–2,250 m (1,970–7,380 ft) altitude. It is also known as striped dracaena, compact dracaena, and corn plant.
Dracaena angolensis, commonly known as African spear or the spear sansevieria, is a succulent plant native to Angola in Southern Africa. For years, it was placed within the genus Sansevieria (snake-plants), a specific name which is still used synonymously by some; in the 21st century, Sansevieria became part of Dracaena (dragon-trees), after improved testing methods, physical comparisons, and other analyses found sufficient commonalities between the two genera to warrant subsumption.
A xerophyte is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology and physiology of xerophytes are adapted to conserve water during dry periods. Some species called resurrection plants can survive long periods of extreme dryness or desiccation of their tissues, during which their metabolic activity may effectively shut down. Plants with such morphological and physiological adaptations are said to be xeromorphic. Xerophytes such as cacti are capable of withstanding extended periods of dry conditions as they have deep-spreading roots and capacity to store water. Their waxy, thorny leaves prevent loss of moisture.
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".
Dracaena pethera, synonym Sansevieria kirkii, also known as star sansevieria, is a succulent plant native to Tanzania and the surrounding region in East Africa.
Dracaena pinguicula, synonym Sansevieria pinguicula, also known as the walking sansevieria, is a xerophytic CAM succulent native to the Bura area of Kenya, near Garissa. The species was described by Peter René Oscar Bally in 1943.
Dracaena stuckyi, synonym Sansevieria stuckyi, is a species of succulent plant native to Africa including Mozambique, Tanzania, and southern Kenya. It is a member of a group of related Dracaena including Dracaena angolensis and Dracaena pearsonii, that grow upright, cylindrical foliage and are native to dry biomes.
Mitrophyllum is a genus of succulent plants of the family Aizoaceae, indigenous to the arid region around the Richtersveld, on the border of South Africa and Namibia.
Gasteria bicolor is a species of succulent flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae, native to the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Dracaena masoniana, synonym Sansevieria masoniana, is a species of Dracaena native to Africa and originally collected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was initially known in cultivation under the cultivar name 'Mason Congo'. Commonly grown as a houseplant for its striking foliage, it can survive in bright filtered light or shade and with infrequent watering. Often grown as a single large, stiff leaf in pots, the plant's other common names include "whale fin" or "shark's fin".
Dracaena bagamoyensis, synonym Sansevieria bagamoyensis, also known as snake plant is a succulent plant native to Kenya and Tanzania.
Dracaena zeylanica is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to southern India and Sri Lanka. It is better known under the synonym Sansevieria zeylanica.