Dragon trees, arborescent members of the genus Dracaena (Asparagaceae), provide a wide range of ecosystem services and have been ethnobotanically important plants since ancient times. Currently, their relictual distribution is fragmented, populations are isolated and often under threat. We provide a brief overview of scientific studies and the state of knowledge on dragon trees published since 2020, when the last review was published. More than 120 papers dealing with dragon trees have appeared, indicating a significant interest in their research, cultural uses and conservation. The most intensively investigated species are Dracaena cochinchinensis, D. cinnabari, D. draco and D. cambodiana. Almost half of the papers deal with the chemical composition of resin and its bioactivity, in addition to studies on ecology, conservation and genetics. Only a few studies are devoted to taxonomy and ethnobotany.

New knowledge in dragon tree research / Maděra, Petr; Attorre, Fabio; Van Damme, Kay. - In: JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE. - ISSN 1212-4834. - 71:5(2025), pp. 205-217. [10.17221/9/2025-JFS]

New knowledge in dragon tree research

Fabio Attorre;
2025

Abstract

Dragon trees, arborescent members of the genus Dracaena (Asparagaceae), provide a wide range of ecosystem services and have been ethnobotanically important plants since ancient times. Currently, their relictual distribution is fragmented, populations are isolated and often under threat. We provide a brief overview of scientific studies and the state of knowledge on dragon trees published since 2020, when the last review was published. More than 120 papers dealing with dragon trees have appeared, indicating a significant interest in their research, cultural uses and conservation. The most intensively investigated species are Dracaena cochinchinensis, D. cinnabari, D. draco and D. cambodiana. Almost half of the papers deal with the chemical composition of resin and its bioactivity, in addition to studies on ecology, conservation and genetics. Only a few studies are devoted to taxonomy and ethnobotany.
2025
anatomy; bioactivity; conservation; dragon tree group; morphology; phylogeny; phylogeography; resin; tree age estimation; threat
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01g Articolo di rassegna (Review)
New knowledge in dragon tree research / Maděra, Petr; Attorre, Fabio; Van Damme, Kay. - In: JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE. - ISSN 1212-4834. - 71:5(2025), pp. 205-217. [10.17221/9/2025-JFS]
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
Maděra_New-knowledge_2025.pdf

accesso aperto

Note: Articolo in rivista
Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 4.37 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
4.37 MB Adobe PDF

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1754332
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 0
social impact