Common name: Mother-In-Laws Tongue
Dracaena trifasciata (Prain ex Hort.) Mabb. APNI* Synonyms: Sansevieria trifasciata Hort. ex Prain APNI*
Description: Plant with very short stem, strongly stoloniferous; rhizome sympodial, yellow-red.
Leaves 2–6 per plant, 40–175 cm long, 2.5–9 cm wide, dark green with conspicuous light or greyish green, irregularly defined transverse bands; often with a light green, yellowish or reddish margin.
Raceme erect, 40–75 cm long including scape; flower clusters scattered or in groups; pedicels 6–8 mm long. Perianth 2.5–3 cm long, greenish white, scented, the segments broadening to greenish tip. Stamens 7–8 mm long; filaments 6–7 mm long; anthers 2 mm long. Style 15–18 mm long; stigma 0.5–1 mm long.
Berry ± globose, 7–9 mm diam., orange; seeds usually 2, 6–7 mm long, c. 5 mm diam., cream-brown.
Distribution and occurrence: commonly cultivated, including various cultivars, as a pot or garden plant, occasionally naturalised; recorded in the Coffs Harbour district. Native of Africa.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A.
Sometimes placed in the segregate family Dracaenaceae. Formerly recognised in the segregate genus Sansevieria , but this is now generally accepted as a synonym of Dracaena.
Text by N. Frischknecht; updated May 2017; updated April 2021 by R.L. Barrett
Taxon concept: P.S. Green (1994)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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