Dracaena ombet, commonly known as Gabal Elba dragon tree, is a species of plant belonging to the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Convallarioideae, formerly included in the family Ruscaceae. It is found in northeastern Africa and the western Arabian Peninsula.

Description

It is a tree that reaches a size of 2–8m in height, with a forked trunk that produces a red resin. The leaves form dense rosettes at the ends of the branches, these are linear with a broad base, 40–60x up to 3cm, gradually tapering to the tip that is sharp, thick and rigid, with smooth margins, flat to concave in the top. The inflorescence is panicle-shaped, 0.5m long, highly branched, glabrous or pubescent, with tiny, ovate-lanceolate bracts. Whitish tepals, 4–6mm long, are linear. Stamens are somewhat shorter than tepals; flattened filaments. The fruit in the form of berries 10–12mm in diameter.

Distribution

It is found at an altitude of 1000–1800m in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

Taxonomy

Dracaena ombet was described by Heuglin ex Kotschy & Peyr. and published in Plantae tinneanae sive descriptio plantarum in...47, in 1867.

Bibliography

  • BOULOS, L. (1995). Flora of Egypt. Checklist. Al-Hadara Publishing, Cairo. 283 p. [p.]
  • BOULOS, L. (2005). FLORA OF EGYPT. [vol. 4] Al Harara Publishing. Cairo. [p.83]