Dracophyllum


Dracophyllum is a genus of plants belonging to the family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae. There are some one hundred or so species in the genus, mostly shrubs, but also cushion plants and trees, found in New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia. The name Dracophyllum, meaning dragon-leaf, refers to their strong similarity to the unrelated Dracaena, sometimes known as dragon tree. Although dicotyledonous, they resemble primitive monocots with their slender leaves concentrated in clumps at the ends of the branches; they are sometimes called grass-trees.
The height varies from one centimetre to about 12 metres.

Species

The following species are recognised by The Plant List:
Among the New Zealand species are: