''Dracaena angolensis'', synonym ''Sansevieria cylindrica'', also known as the cylindrical snake plant, African spear or spear sansevieria or in Brazil Saint Bárbara sword, is a succulent

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...

native to

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

. Formerly in the genus '' Sansevieria'', it is now included in '' Dracaena''.

Description

''Dracaena angolensis'' has striped, elongate, smooth, greenish-gray subcylindrical leaves. They are up to diameter and grow up to above soil. The spear sansevieria grows fan-shaped, with its stiff leaves growing from a basal rosette. The species is interesting in having subcylindrical instead of strap-shaped leaves caused by a failure to express genes which would cause the cylindrical bud to differentiate dorsoventrally or produce a distinctive and familiar top and bottom surface to the leaf blade. The greenish-white tubular flowers are tinged with pink.

Cultivation

The species is drought-tolerant and in cultivation requires

water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...

only about once every other week during the growing season. The species can be watered once a month during the winter months. The species was described by

Wenceslas Bojer Wenceslas Bojer (also Václav Bojer in Czech or Wenzel Bojer in German) (23 September 1795 in Řesanice, Bohemia, now the Czech Republic – 4 June 1856 in Port Louis, Mauritius) was a Czech naturalist, botanist and botanical illustrator. L ...

in 1837. ''Dracaena angolensis'' (under the synonym ''Sansevieria cylindrica'') received its common name from a competition in a Dutch national newspaper. It is popular as an ornamental plant as it is easy to culture and take care of in a home if given bright sunlight and other required resources.

Gallery of varieties and cultivars

File:Spear sansevieria 1.jpg File:Sansevieria cylindrica var. patula.jpg, Kind known as "var. ''patula''" File:Sansevieria cylindrica var. patula 'Boncel'.jpg, Cultivar 'Boncel' File:Sansevieria cylindrica tressée.jpg

References

External links

Caring for ''Sansevieria cylindrica''

CalPhotos
{{Taxonbar, from3=Q80686286, from1=Q149735, from2=Q85835838 angolensis Flora of Angola House plants Taxa named by Élie-Abel Carrière