Dracaena is a genus of about 120 species of trees and succulent shrubs. The formerly accepted genera Pleomele and Sansevieria are now included in Dracaena. In the APG IV classification system, it is placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoideae.
Tracheophytes, Angiosperms, Monocots
Africa, southern Asia through to northern Australia, Tropical Central America
It has also formerly been separated (sometimes with Cordyline) into the family Dracaenaceae or placed in the Agavaceae (now Agavoideae).
The name dracaena is derived from the romanized form of the Ancient Greek δράκαινα – drakaina, "female dragon".
The majority of the species are native to Africa, southern Asia through to northern Australia, with two species in tropical Central America.
Species of Dracaena have a secondary thickening meristem in their trunk, termed Dracaenoid thickening by some authors, which is quite different from the thickening meristem found in dicotyledonous plants. This characteristic is shared with members of the Agavoideaeand Xanthorrhoeoideae among other members of the Asparagales.
Dracaena species can be classified in two growth types: treelike dracaenas (Dracaena fragrans, Dracaena draco, Dracaena cinnabari), which have aboveground stems that branch from nodes after flowering, or if the growth tip is severed, and rhizomatous dracaenas (Dracaena trifasciata, Dracaena angolensis), which have underground rhizomes and leaves on the surface (ranging from straplike to cylindrical).
Many species of Dracaena are kept as houseplants due to tolerance of lower light and sparse watering.
Source: Wikipedia
