Dracaenaceae

Abstract

Herbs to large trees; stems occasionally absent, or woody and partly or wholly subterranean and rhizomatous, or more rarely pachycaul and enormous; L often clustered at Br tips or tips of subterranean rhizomes, spirally arranged or occasionally distichous, simple, narrowly linear to ovate and sessile, sometimes conspicuously succulent and terete, always fibrous, venation parallel (and branching in Cordyline); Inf racemes or panicles, axillary and pedunculate, emerging either from Ros near the ground or on the ends of Br; Fl small but numerous, 3-merous, pedicellate, generally highly fragrant; Tep 3 + 3, elongate, all equal, usually basally connate and tubular with free tips, brownish, purple-violet or white; St 3 + 3; Sty often long and simple; Sti trilobate or capitate; Ov 3-locular; Fr globose berries, red or orange; Se globose or elongate.