Dracaena draco

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	LILIOPSIDA	LILIALES	DRACAENACEAE

Scientific Name:

Dracaena draco

Species Authority:

(L.) L.

Common Name/s:

English	–	Canary Island Dragon Tree, Dragon Tree
Spanish	–	Drago De Canarias, Sangre De Drago

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Vulnerable A1abcde ver 2.3

Year Published:

1998

Annotations:

Needs updating

Assessor/s:

Bañares, A. <i>et al.</i>

Reviewer/s:

Contributor/s:

History:

1997

–

Vulnerable (Walter and Gillett 1998)

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Cape Verde; Morocco; Portugal (Madeira); Spain (Canary Is.)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The wild subpopulations of the dragon tree have been in decline for a long time. The species is present in five of the seven islands in the Canaries and the total population is reduced to a few hundred trees. In Madeira and Porto Santo, it was once an important component of the vegetation in more arid areas but is reduced today to two individuals in the wild. A survey in 1996 revealed new subpopulations in North Africa, in the Anezi region of the Anti-Atlas Mts. in Morocco. Thousands of individuals exist on steep quartzite cliffs in inaccessible gorges. These subpopulations are likely to represent a distinct variant of the species. Its closest relative is the dragon tree endemic to Socotra.

Population:

The wild subpopulations of the dragon tree have been in decline for a long time. The species is present in five of the seven islands in the Canaries and the total population is reduced to a few hundred trees. In Madeira and Porto Santo, it was once an important component of the vegetation in more arid areas but is reduced today to two individuals in the wild. A survey in 1996 revealed new subpopulations in North Africa, in the Anezi region of the Anti-Atlas Mts. in Morocco. Thousands of individuals exist on steep quartzite cliffs in inaccessible gorges. These subpopulations are likely to represent a distinct variant of the species. Its closest relative is the dragon tree endemic to Socotra.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Long living, this species reaches maturity in 30 years.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Dragon's blood had a wide range of uses as a medicine, for staining violins and for embalming the dead. Its closest relative is the dragon tree endemic to Socotra.

Major Threat(s):

Dragon's blood had a wide range of uses as a medicine, for staining violins and for embalming the dead. Its closest relative is the dragon tree endemic to Socotra.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The species is listed in regional, governmental and international legislation. It is widespread in cultivation.

Conservation Actions:

The species is listed in regional, governmental and international legislation. It is widespread in cultivation.

Bibliography [top]

	Anonymous. 1998. Mascarene survivor cloned. Plant Talk 1998: 15. Bañares, A. et al. 1997. Completed data collection forms for the trees of the Canary Islands. Fernandes, F. et al. 1997. Completed data collection forms for the trees of Madeira. Global Tree Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website Koopowitz, H. and Kaye, H. 1983. Plant extinction: a global crisis. Stone Wall Press, Washington DC. Koopowitz, H. and Kaye, H. 1990. Plant extinction: a global crisis. Christopher Helm, London. Lucas, G.L.l. and Synge, H. (compilers) 1978. The IUCN Plant Red Data Book. IUCN, Morges, Switzerland. Oldfield, S., Lusty, C. and MacKinven, A. (compilers). 1998. The World List of Threatened Trees. World Conservation Press, Cambridge, UK.

Anonymous. 1998. Mascarene survivor cloned. Plant Talk 1998: 15.

Bañares, A. et al. 1997. Completed data collection forms for the trees of the Canary Islands.

Fernandes, F. et al. 1997. Completed data collection forms for the trees of Madeira.

Global Tree Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website

Koopowitz, H. and Kaye, H. 1983. Plant extinction: a global crisis. Stone Wall Press, Washington DC.

Koopowitz, H. and Kaye, H. 1990. Plant extinction: a global crisis. Christopher Helm, London.

Lucas, G.L.l. and Synge, H. (compilers) 1978. The IUCN Plant Red Data Book. IUCN, Morges, Switzerland.

Oldfield, S., Lusty, C. and MacKinven, A. (compilers). 1998. The World List of Threatened Trees. World Conservation Press, Cambridge, UK.

Citation:	Bañares, A. et al. 1998. Dracaena draco. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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