Dracaena angolensis

Dracaena angolensis (synonym Sansevieria cylindrica),^[1] commonly known as African spear or the spear sansevieria,^[3] 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.

Dracaena angolensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Convallarioideae
Genus:	Dracaena
Species:	D. angolensis
Binomial name
Dracaena angolensis (Welw. ex Carrière) Byng & Christenh.[1]
Synonyms[1][2]
Acyntha cylindrica (Bojer ex Hook.) Kuntze Cordyline cylindrica (Bojer ex Hook.) Britton Sansevieria angolensis Welw. ex Carrière Sansevieria cylindrica Bojer ex Hook. Sansevieria livingstoniae Rendle

The genus Dracaena is a part of the Asparagaceae (asparagus family)—i.e., they are closely aligned with and related to such groups as the Asparagus, Agave, Beaucarnea (ponytail "palms"), Chlorophytum (spider-plants), Camassia, Dasylirion (sotols), Hesperaloe (Texan or red yuccas) and Yucca (Joshua trees).

Description

Dracaena angolensis has striped, elongate, smooth, greenish-gray subcylindrical leaves. They are up to 3 cm (1 in) diameter and grow up to 2 m (7 ft) above soil.^[4] The spear sansevieria grows fan-shaped, with its stiff leaves growing from a basal rosette.

The species is interesting in having subcylindrical instead of strap-shaped leaves caused by a failure to express genes which would cause the cylindrical bud to differentiate dorsoventrally or produce a distinctive and familiar top and bottom surface to the leaf blade.^[4][5] The 3 cm (1 in) greenish-white tubular flowers are tinged with pink.^[5]

Cultivation

The species is drought-tolerant and in cultivation requires water only about once every other week during the growing season.^[5] The species can be watered once a month during the winter months. The species was described by Wenceslas Bojer in 1837. Dracaena angolensis (under the synonym Sansevieria cylindrica) received its common name from a competition in a Dutch national newspaper.^[4] It is popular as an ornamental plant^[4] as it is easy to culture and take care of in a home if given bright sunlight and other required resources.^[5] In Brazil, where it is known as lança de São Jorge ("St. George's spear"), it is grown outside houses to ward off evil that might harm the home.^[6] The plant plays an important part in the Afro-Brazilian syncretic religion Umbanda,^[6] representing the orisha Ogum,^[7] as Ogum is syncretized with St. George.

Gallery of varieties and cultivars

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  Blooming.
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  Kind known as "var. patula"
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  Cultivar 'Boncel'
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