Dracaena ombet
Heuglin ex Kotschy & Peyr.
Asparagaceae
The record of uses for this plant were for Dracaena schizantha - a species that is recognised as distinct in the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, but is treated as a synonym of D. Ombet in the latest floras of Africa[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Dracaena ombet schizantha (Baker) Bos
Dracaena rhabdophylla Chiov.
Dracaena schizantha Baker
Draco ombet (Heuglin ex Kotschy & Peyr.) Kuntze
Draco schizantha (Baker) Kuntze
Common Name:
Tree
Photograph by: Not known
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Tree
Photograph by: Not known
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
General Information
Dracaena ombet is an evergreen tree with a thick, forked bole and a semi-globose crown; it can grow up to 9 metres tall. The leaves are around 0cm long and 3cm wide, usually crowded and often restricted to the branch tips[
1860- Title
- Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants; Monocotyledons (Second Edition)
- Publication
-
- Author
- Eggli U. & Nyffeler R. (Editors)
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
- Year
- 2020
- ISBN
- 978-3-662-56484-4
- Description
-
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit, which is used locally. It is also the source of a resin that is used in traditional medicine.
A once widespread and abundant species, overgrazing, overcutting, droughts and possibly attack by parasitic pests or disease have contributed to a serious decline in population numbers. The tree is classified as 'Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
500- Title
- Flora of Somalia
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thulin M. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Kew Publishing, London.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.
,
515- Title
- Flora of Tropical Africa Vol 1 - 8
- Publication
-
- Author
- Var
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- L.Reeve & Co.; Ashford, Kent.
- Year
- 1868 - 1917
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Very little information on habitat, range and uses, but gives good descriptions of the plants. It can be downloaded from the internet.
Range
Northeast tropical Africa - Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia; to Saudi Arabia.
Habitat
Mountains in the desert[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. Open Olea europaea forest on limestone, and in semi-desert grassland
with scattered Acacia scrub[
1860- Title
- Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants; Monocotyledons (Second Edition)
- Publication
-
- Author
- Eggli U. & Nyffeler R. (Editors)
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
- Year
- 2020
- ISBN
- 978-3-662-56484-4
- Description
-
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Endangered |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 6.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Dracaena ombret is found in areas with seasonally arid climates where the average annual precipitation is 200 - 500mm and the mean annual temperature is 18 - 20°c[
1863- Title
- The Conservation Status and Population Mapping of the Endangered Dracaena Serrulata in the Dhofar Mountains, Oman
- Publication
- Forests 2020, 11, 322
- Author
- Vahalik P. et al
- Website
- http://10.3390/f11030322
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2020
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
]. It is a plant of higher elevations in the semi-arid tropics, where it is found from 750 - 2,000 metres[
515- Title
- Flora of Tropical Africa Vol 1 - 8
- Publication
-
- Author
- Var
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
- Publisher
- L.Reeve & Co.; Ashford, Kent.
- Year
- 1868 - 1917
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Very little information on habitat, range and uses, but gives good descriptions of the plants. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Edible Uses
The mature fruits are edible and eaten by local people as a supplement to their meagre diet[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Medicinal
The resin obtained from the trunk is used in traditional medicine[
500- Title
- Flora of Somalia
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thulin M. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Kew Publishing, London.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.
].
Other Uses
A red resin is obtained from the trunk[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
500- Title
- Flora of Somalia
- Publication
-
- Author
- Thulin M. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Kew Publishing, London.
- Year
- 1993
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Detailed information on the plants of the region, often adding notes on the plants uses.
].
The resin obtained from the closely related D. Draco has a wide range of uses: as a varnish; for staining wood in items such as violins; for embalming the dead etc[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
,
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Propagation
Seed -
Cuttings. Dracaena species are generally easy to propagate. Only a small piece of the plant is required to form a new plant, and even when thrown away it may easily root[
].
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
