|
General description:
|
|
Dracaena is a genus of some 60 species, many of which are used as ornamental plants. Dracaena umbraculifera is unique in the genus in having a very large umbrella of flowers (“umbellate inflorescences,” all flowers are born on stalks that originate at a single point). Other Dracaena species have branching flowers (“paniculate inflorescences,” flowers on a structure with repeated branching). Dracaena umbraculifera resembles a small palm tree, with leaves and flowers born near the top of the trunk.
|
|
|
History, uses and importance:
|
|
Dracaena umbraculifera was first described in 1797 from a plant cultivated in a botanical garden in Vienna. It had been included in a collection shipment with other plants originating in Mauritius, and it was long assumed that Dracaena umbraculifera was also native to Mauritius. While it was reproduced and given to several other botanical gardens around the world, repeated botanical searches in Mauritius could not locate any individuals of the species and it was declared extinct in the wild. However, recent genetic research indicates that its closest relatives are all native to Madagascar (and that as many as half the specimens growing in botanical gardens were mislabeled). Acting on this and other hints that the plant was not actually native to Mauritius, the Missouri Botanical Garden launched an expedition in 2014 to search for the plant in Madagascar instead of the Mauritius. The plant was rediscovered on Ile Saint Marie, a small island off the east coast of Madagascar. While it is not extinct, Dracaena umbraculifera is quite rare and conservation measures are necessary to ensure its continued existence.
|
|