Dracaena L.
Genus composed of some 110 Afro-Asian species, plus one species in Central America. In North Africa it is represented 2 species, D. draco, of which a relict population remains in the rocky outcrops of the western Anti-Atlas (Morocco) and D. ombet, a threatened species found in the region of Gabal Elba, in the SE of Egypt.
Almeida, R.S. 2003. Sobre la presencia de Dracaena draco (L.) L. en Gran Canaria (islas Canarias): aportación corológica, estado actual y significación biogeográfica. Bot. Macaronésica, 24: 17-38.
Benabid, A. & Cuzin, F. 1997. Populations de dragonnier (Dracaena draco L. subsp. ajgal Benabid & Cuzin) au Maroc: valeurs taxonomique, biogéographique et phytosociologique. Comptes rendus de l’Academie des Sciences. Sciences de la Vie, 320: 267-277.
El Azzouni, M. 2003. Conserving Dracaena ombet, Egypt’s Dragon Tree. Plant Talk 34: 38-39.
Kamel, A., Ghazaly, U. M. & Kallmander, M.W. 2014. Conservation status of the endangered Nubian dragon tree Dracaena ombet in Gebel Elba National Park, Egypt. Oryx, 49(4): 704-709.
Kassas, M. 1956. The mist oasis of Erkwit, Sudan. Journal of Ecology, 44(1): 180-194.
Marrero, A., Almeida, R.S. & González-Martín, M. 1998. A new species of the wild dragon tree, Dracaena (Dracaenaceae) from Gran Canaria and its taxonomic and biogeographic implications. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 128: 291-314.
Robiansyah, I. & Hajar, A.S. 2017. Predicting Current and Future Distribution of Endangered Tree Dracaena ombet Kotschy and Peyr. Under Climate Change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, 87(1): 225–232.
Key to species
1 Flowers with lobes 7-8 mm, white-yellowish. Berries red-orange.Leaves flat, with a reddish clasping base Dracaena draco
1 Flowers with lobes 4-6 mm, whitish. Berries yellow.Leaves slightly canaliculate on the upper side and convex on the underside,with a dark purple clasping base Dracaena ombet
Updated by: B. Valdés & J. Charco.