Cordyline


Cordyline is a genus of about 24 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. 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

, Plants of the World Online accepts 23 species.
  • Cordyline angustissima K.Schum. – New Guinea
  • Cordyline australis Endl. – New Zealand
  • Cordyline banksii Hook.f. – New Zealand
  • Cordyline cannifolia R.Br. – Australia: N.E. Northern Territory, N.E. Queensland
  • Cordyline congesta Steud. – Australia: S.E. Queensland to N.E. New South Wales
  • Cordyline forbesii Rendle – Papua New Guinea
  • Cordyline fruticosa A.Chev. – Papuasia to W. Pacific
  • Cordyline × gibbingsiae – New Zealand
  • Cordyline indivisa Endl. – New Zealand
  • Cordyline lateralis Lauterb. – New Guinea
  • Cordyline ledermannii K.Krause – New Guinea
  • Cordyline manners-suttoniae F.Muell. – Australia: N.E. Queensland
  • Cordyline × matthewsii – New Zealand
  • Cordyline mauritiana J.F.Macbr. – Mascarenes
  • Cordyline minutiflora Ridl. – New Guinea
  • Cordyline murchisoniae F.Muell. – Australia: E. Queensland
  • Cordyline neocaledonica B.D.Jacks. – New Caledonia
  • Cordyline obtecta Baker – Norfolk Island, N. New Zealand North Island
  • Cordyline petiolaris 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 Endl. – Australia: S.E. Queensland to N.E. New South Wales

    Formerly placed here

  • Dracaena aletriformis Bos
  • Dracaena elliptica Thunb. & Dalm.
  • Dracaena fragrans Ker Gawl.

    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 hāngī 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.