Cordyline Schlechteri

''Cordyline'' is a genus of about 15 species of woody monocotyledonous flowering plants in family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae. The subfamily has previously been treated as a separate family Laxmanniaceae, or Lomandraceae. Other authors have placed the genus in the Agavaceae (now Agavoideae). ''Cordyline'' is native to the western Pacific Ocean region, from New Zealand, eastern Australia, southeastern Asia and Polynesia, with one species found in southeastern South America.

The name ''Cordyline'' comes from the Greek word ''kordyle'', meaning "club," a reference to the enlarged underground stems or rhizomes.

Species

, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families accepts 24 species:
* '' Cordyline angustissima'' K.Schum. – New Guinea
* ''Cordyline australis'' (G.Forst.) Endl. (Cabbage Tree) – New Zealand
* '' Cordyline banksii'' Hook.f. (syn. ''C. diffusa'' Colenso.) – New Zealand
* '' Cordyline cannifolia'' R.Br. – Australia: N.E. Northern Territory, N.E. Queensland
* '' Cordyline casanovae'' Linden ex André – Vanuatu
* '' Cordyline congesta'' (Sweet) Steud. (syn. ''C. dracaenoides'' Kunth) – Australia: S.E. Queensland to N.E. New South Wales
* '' Cordyline diffusa'' Colenso. (syn. ''C. banksii'' Hook.f.) – New Zealand
* '' Cordyline forbesii'' Rendle – Papua New Guinea
* ''Cordyline fruticosa'' (L.) A.Chev. – Papuasia to W. Pacific
* '' Cordyline indivisa'' (G.Forst.) Endl. (mountain cabbage tree) – New Zealand (syn. ''Cordyline hectori'', ''Cordyline hookeri'')
* '' Cordyline lateralis'' Lauterb. – New Guinea
* '' Cordyline ledermannii'' K.Krause – New Guinea
* ''Cordyline manners-suttoniae'' F.Muell. – Australia: N.E. Queensland
* '' Cordyline mauritiana'' (Lam.) J.F.Macbr. – Mascarenes
* ''Cordyline minutiflora'' Ridl. – New Guinea
* '' Cordyline murchisoniae'' F.Muell. (syn. ''C. haageana'' K.Koch) – Australia: E. Queensland
* '' Cordyline neocaledonica'' (Baker) B.D.Jacks. – New Caledonia
* '' Cordyline obtecta'' (Graham) Baker – Norfolk Island, N. New Zealand North Island
* ''Cordyline petiolaris'' (Domin) Pedley – Australia: S.E. Queensland to N.E. New South Wales
* '' Cordyline pumilio'' Hook.f. – New Zealand North Island
* ''Cordyline racemosa'' Ridl. – New Guinea
* ''Cordyline rubra'' Otto & A.Dietr. – Australia: S.E. Queensland to N.E. New South Wales
* '' Cordyline schlechteri'' Lauterb. – New Guinea
* ''Cordyline sellowiana'' Kunth – Bolivia to Brazil and N. Argentina
* '' Cordyline stricta'' (Sims) Endl. – Australia: S.E. Queensland to N.E. New South Wales

Formerly placed here

*'' Dracaena aletriformis'' (Haw.) Bos (as ''C. rumphii'' Hook.)
*''Dracaena elliptica'' Thunb. & Dalm. (as ''C. maculata'' (Roxb.) Planch. and ''C. sieboldii'' Planch.)
*'' Dracaena fragrans'' (L.) Ker Gawl. (as ''C. fragrans'' (L.) Planch.)

Cultivation and uses

Members of the group are often grown as ornamental plants - notably '' C. australis'' and '' C. fruticosa''. Many species have been used as a foodstuff and medicine, for additional details on these and other uses see the article on ''C. australis''. The rhizome was roasted in an hāngi (earth oven) by Māori to extract sugar.

In the highlands of Papua New Guinea. leaves of ''Cordyline'' and other plants are tied to sticks to mark taboo areas where pandanus language must be spoken during karuka harvest.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1543189

Asparagaceae genera
Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)