Dracophyllum is a genus of plants belonging to the family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae. There are 61 species in the genus, mostly shrubs, but also cushion plants and trees, found in New Zealand, Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledonia. The name Dracophyllum, meaning dragon-leaf, refers to their strong similarity to the unrelated Dracaena, sometimes known as dragon tree. Although dicotyledonous, they resemble primitive monocots with their slender leaves concentrated in clumps at the ends of the branches; they are sometimes called grass-trees.
Grass tree, grass-tree or grasstree may refer to several plant species, including:
Dracophyllum recurvum, known commonly as curved leaf grass tree or neinei is a prostrate to semi-erect shrub belonging to the genus Dracophyllum.
Dracophyllum milliganii is a species of angiosperm in the family Ericaceae and the sub-family Epacridoideae. It is a distinctive alpine shrub, endemic to Western Tasmania.
The Nelson Coast temperate forests is an ecoregion in New Zealand.
Dracophyllum oceanicum is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. It is endemic to New South Wales.
Dracophyllum longifolium, commonly called inaka, is an upright shrub or small tree in the family Ericaceae that is endemic to New Zealand.
Dracophyllum arboreum, commonly known as Chatham Island grass tree and tarahinau (Māori), is a species of tree in the heath family Ericaceae. Endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand, it reaches a height of 18 m (59.06 ft) and has leaves that differ between the juvenile and adult forms.
Dracophyllum traversii, commonly known as mountain neinei, grass tree, and pineapple tree is a deciduous tree endemic to New Zealand. In the heath family Eriaceae, it reaches a height of 0.2–13 m (0.66–42.65 ft) and has leaves which form tufts at the end of its branches.
Dracophyllum elegantissimum, commonly known as grass tree or slender dragon tree, is a flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. Endemic to New Zealand, it is found in the north of the South Island, in north-west Nelson.
Dracophyllum minimum, commonly known as heath cushionplant or claspleaf heath, is a species of bolster cushion plant endemic to Tasmania, Australia. It is a low growing, highly compacted plant with white flowers, commonly found in alpine areas of the south, centre and west of Tasmania.
Dracophyllum macranthum is a small shrub in the family Ericaceae. Plants grow to 0.6–2.0 metres tall, and produce rose-to-pink coloured flowers between August and October. It is endemic to the northern coast of New South Wales, Australia.
Dracophyllum ophioliticum, commonly known as asbestos inaka and asbestos turpentine tree, is a species of shrub in the family Ericaceae. It grows into a sprawling decumbent shrub, reaching heights of 30 - 200 cm tall and flowers from January to March, producing small white flowers and later tiny light brown fruit. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in north-west Nelson in the Kahurangi National Park, growing only on serpentinite-asbestos clay loam. It was first described by Stephanus Venter in 2002 and genetically sequenced in 2010 when it was placed in the subgenus Oreothamnus.
Dracophyllum muscoides, commonly known as Cushion inaka, is a small cushion plant in the family Ericaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in the South Island in sub-alpine regions.
Dracophyllum verticillatum is a species of shrub or small tree endemic to New Caledonia. It was first described by Jacques Labillardière in 1800 and gets the specific epithet verticillatum for its flowers growing on verticillasters. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits exposed plains and gentle mountain slopes and reaches a height of 0.2–7 m tall.
Dracophyllum pronum, commonly known as Trailing neinei, is a species of sprawling shrub endemic to New Zealand. It was first described by Walter Oliver in 1928 and gets the specific epithet pronum for its prostrate growth habit. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits montane and subalpine areas and reaches a height of just 1–25 cm.
Dracophyllum scoparium is a species of shrub or small tree endemic to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. It was first described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1844 and gets the specific epithet scoparium, in the form of a broom, for the way in which its juvenile leaves grow. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits the Chatham and Pitt Islands, and reaches a height of 1–4 m.
Dracophyllum strictum, commonly known as Totorowhiti, is a species of shrub endemic to New Zealand. It was first described by Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1844 and gets the specific epithet strictum for its rigid and packed together leaves. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits lowland up to montane forest and shrubland and reaches a height of 50–300 cm.
Dracophyllum ramosum is a species of shrub or small tree endemic to New Caledonia. It was first described by Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart and Jean Antoine Arthur Gris in 1864 and gets the specific epithet ramosum for the fact that many of its branches grow from the same place. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits the summits and slopes of mountains, alongside streams, and on plateaux; it reaches a height of 0.5–5 m.
Dracophyllum ouaiemense is a species of shrub endemic to New Caledonia. It was first described by Robert Virot in 1975 and gets the specific epithet ouaiemense after the region in which it grows: Roche Ouaième. In the heath family Ericaceae, it inhabits the tops of mountains and more gentle slopes and reaches a height of 50 cm.
