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''Dracaena reflexa'', commonly called pleomele or song of India, is a species of ''Dracaena'' which is a tropical tree native to Madagascar, Mauritius, and other nearby islands of the Indian Ocean. It is widely grown as an ornamental plant and houseplant, valued for its richly coloured, evergreen leaves, and thick, irregular stems. While it may reach a height of 4–5 m, rarely 6 m in ideal, protected locations, ''D. reflexa'' is usually much smaller, especially when grown as a houseplant. It is slow-growing and upright in habit, tending to an oval shape with an open crown. The lanceolate leaves are simple, spirally arranged, 5–20 cm long and 1.5–5 cm broad at the base, with a parallel venation and entire margin; they grow in tight whorls and are a uniform dark green.〔Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan.〕〔Gilman, E. F. (1999). Fact Sheet FPS-187: Dracaena reflexa. Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/DRAREFA.PDF〕 The flowers are small, clustered, and usually white, appearing in mid winter. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are especially showy. ''D. reflexa'' var. ''angustifolia'' (syn. ''D. marginata'') differs in having a magenta tint to its flowers, a shrubby habit, and olive green leaves.〔Missouri Botanical Garden. Dracaena reflexa var. angustifolia Baker. Conspectus of the Vascular Plants of Madagascar. Retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Madagasc/liliac/00615149.html〕 ==Cultivation and uses== ''Dracaena reflexa'' is a popular ornamental plant, both in the landscape and the home. It can be enjoyed as a specimen plant, accent, or pruned to create a border. Several cultivars have been selected, particularly variegated clones with cream and yellow-green margins. It performs well as a houseplant, tolerating infrequent waterings. It prefers bright, filtered light, without direct sun exposure, restricted outdoors to zones 10–11. It has average water needs and should be fertilized bi-weekly when actively growing. Although it can survive in relatively low light levels, the plant may grow spindly if given insufficient light. When grown indoors, temperatures of 18 °C to 25 °C (64 °F to 77 °F) should be maintained. It can be propagated via herbaceous stem cuttings. Traditional medicine practitioners of Madagascar have long believed ''Dracaena reflexa'' to cure malarial symptoms, poisoning, dysentery, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, and to be useful as an antipyretic and hemostatic agent. The leaves and bark are mixed with parts of a number of other native plants and mixed into herbal teas. Its effectiveness in any such treatment remains unproven.〔Randrianarivelojosia, R., et al. (2003). Plants traditionally prescribed to treat tazo (malaria) in the eastern region of Madagascar. Malaria Journal; 2: 25. Retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=184444&tools=bot〕 The fruit of ''D. reflexa'' is also important to the diet of the Malagasy black-and-white ruffed lemur (''Varecia variegata variegata''). The Frégate beetle (''Polposipus herculeanus''), an endangered species endemic to Frégate Island (Seychelles), is also known to associate with this plant.〔Ferguson, A., Pearce-Kelly, P. (2004). The Frégate Island giant tenebrionid beetle. Management Guidelines For the Welfare of Zoo Animals. The Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland. London, UK. ISSN 0963-1712. Retrieved April 18, 2006 from http://www.zoofederation.org.uk/uploads/Management%2520Guidelines%2520-%2520Fregate%2520beetle%252007-11-04.pdf〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dracaena reflexa」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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