Bos' Dragon Tree

Bos' Dragon Tree (Dracaena bushii) is similar to Dracaena phrynioides, both having capitate inflorescences and leaves with long pseudopetioles. Bos' Dragon Tree is easily distinguished from that species by its flowers which are twice as long and the presence of a distinct stem up to 50 centimeters long. It is a shrub up to 2,50 meters tall, with a single stem arising from a woody rhizome. Bos' Dragon Tree starts flowering in June.

[Bos' Dragon Tree (Photo: T. Damen)]

This species can be found in the understory of secondary forests, forest edges, humid places, on sandy soils and clayish river banks. Furthermore, it like to grow at altitudes of 100 to 1500 meters.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, bushii, honours Dracaena specialist Jan Just Bos (1939-2003), who has been a great inspiration to the first author, Theo Damen. As the Dutch word bos translates to 'bush' in English, it also credits Burgers Bush in Arnhem, The Netherlands, where the largest collection of living Dracaena in the world is being maintained, including a few specimens of Dracaena bushii.

Bos' Dragon Tree can be found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

This species of Dragon Tree was discovered in the collection of Burgers' Zoo in The Netherlands. In 1999, the zoo was given the entire Draceana-collection of Wageningen Univisersity. It is thought that Bos' Dragon Tree was already 'hiding' in that collection[1].
[1] Damen et al: Taxonomic novelties in African Dracaena (Dracaenaceae) in Blumea journal of plant taxonomy and plant geography – 2018. See here.