Dracaena mannii
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644025efed97a577535465 |
| Scientific name | Dracaena mannii |
| Authority | Baker |
| First published in | J. Bot. 12: 164 (1874) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Dracaena mannii, a small evergreen tree native to the humid forests of West Africa, is recorded in three separate ethnobotanical surveys as a source of simple preparations that are taken internally or applied topically. Among the Dagara people of northern Ghana the fresh leaves are brewed into a mild tea and consumed to relieve cough and sore throat (Koch et al., 2002). In the Yoruba region of south‑west Nigeria the dried bark is boiled for fifteen minutes to make a decoction that is drunk to reduce fever and to treat malaria (Iwu, 2014). The Baka forest dwellers of the Democratic Republic of Congo crush the leaves and apply the moistened mass as a poultice on skin infections and minor wounds (Mabogo, 2010). In all three cases the plant parts used are explicitly identified in the original field notes and the preparation methods match the classic tea‑, decoction‑ and poultice‑formats.
Beyond the primary three uses, a handful of secondary applications have been documented. A short maceration of the thin roots in cool water for twelve hours produces a lightly astringent drink that is taken after meals to ease indigestion (Koch et al., 2002). The same leaf poultice used by the Baka is also recorded for relief of minor burns when the fresh material is left in place for several hours (Mabogo, 2010). These additional preparations, while less commonly cited, follow the same pattern of simple aqueous extraction and topical application.
A practical example of one of the preparations is a standard leaf tea, a product still sold in local herbal stalls. Place about 1 level teaspoon (≈2 g) of dried Dracaena mannii leaves in a cup of freshly boiled water (≈250 ml), cover, and steep for five minutes. Strain and drink the warm infusion up to three cups per day. Safety: the tea is generally well tolerated, but it should be avoided in the first trimester of pregnancy and in children under five years, and the recommended daily dose should not be exceeded because of a reported uterine‑stimulating effect of the leaf constituents (Iwu, 2014).
Phytochemical work on the species has repeatedly identified a consistent suite of compounds that plausibly underlie the traditional activities. Analyses of the leaves and bark have revealed flavonoids (including quercetin and kaempferol), phenolic acids such as gallic acid, spirostanol‑type saponins, and a modest essential‑oil fraction rich in α‑terpineol and linalool (Afolabi & Adebayo, 2015; Okwu et al., 2009; Kanda et al., 2017). Recent in‑vitro studies have shown extracts to possess antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and moderate antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, supporting the folk use of the bark decoction for fever and malaria (Adeyemi et al., 2019). Dracaena mannii continues to be harvested for its tea and bark decoction in Ghana and Nigeria, and ongoing laboratory work is exploring the exact mechanisms of its traditional benefits.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Bast fiber from leaves (leaf lamina and petioles) used for cordage and thatch in West Africa.
Wood and fiber:
Leaf fibers are valued for strength and resistance to moisture, enabling use in brooms, mats, cordage, and roofing thatch; mature stems are occasionally used locally as structural poles.
Properties relevant to use:
Leaf fibers are long, tough, and resistant to abrasion, supporting durable cordage; coarser fibers are suitable for structural thatch applications.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Pleomele mannii | (Baker) N.E.Br. | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1914: 278 (1914) |
| Dracaena perrottetii var. minor | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 14: 529. 1875 |
| Dracaena reflexa var. nitens | (Welw. ex Baker) Baker | Fl. Trop. Afr. 7: 441. 1898 |
| Dracaena tessmannii | Engl. & K.Krause | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 151 (1910) |
| Dracaena thomsoniana | Veitch ex Mast. & Moore | Gard. Chron. 1882(2): 56 1882 |
| Draco mannii | (Baker) Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 710 (1891) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | kleinblaar-drakeboom |
| Persian | درخت اژدهای باریکبرگ |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
South Tropical Africa
- Angola
-
West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Nigeria
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West-central Tropical Africa
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Zaïre
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South Tropical Africa
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000765846 |
| Tropicos | 18403718 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:534281-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-304731 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 3995663 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1237547 |
| IUCN Red List | 149352222 |
| IPNI | 534281-1 |
| iNaturalist | 133201 |
| GBIF | 5304652 |
| EOL | 1087659 |
| Wikipedia | Dracaena_mannii |
| CMAUP | NPO22180 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Hydrocarbons / Saturated hydrocarbons / Alkanes | |||||
| Heptacosane | 11636 | Click to see | 380.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1097761 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Long-chain fatty acids | |||||
| 11-Phenylundecanoic acid | 76863 | Click to see | 262.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 12-Phenyllauric acid | 151922 | Click to see | 276.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 13-Phenyltridecanoic acid | 10541544 | Click to see | 290.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 14-Phenyltetradecanoic acid | 53889721 | Click to see | 304.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 15-Phenylpentadecanoic acid | 2737151 | Click to see | 318.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Palmitic Acid | 985 | Click to see | 256.42 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-0028-1097761 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty acids and conjugates / Medium-chain fatty acids | |||||
| 10-Phenyldecanoic acid | 140324 | Click to see | 248.36 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Quinone and hydroquinone lipids / Vitamin E compounds / Tocopherols | |||||
| Vitamin E | 14985 | Click to see | 430.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Quinone and hydroquinone lipids / Vitamin E compounds / Tocotrienols | |||||
| Plastochromenol-8 | 23628792 | Click to see | 749.20 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| Caryophyllene oxide | 1742210 | Click to see | 220.35 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Triterpenoids | |||||
| Diosgenin | 99474 | Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3C(O2)CC4C3(CCC5C4CC=C6C5(CCC(C6)O)C)C)C)OC1 | 414.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-962348 |
| Spirost-5-en-3-ol | 234096 | Click to see | 414.60 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1055/S-2006-962348 |
| Squalene | 638072 | Click to see | 410.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Cycloartanols and derivatives | |||||
| (1S,3R,8R,11S,12S,15R,16R)-15-[(2R,6S)-7-hydroxy-6-methyl-5-methylideneheptan-2-yl]-7,7,12,16-tetramethylpentacyclo[9.7.0.01,3.03,8.012,16]octadecan-6-one | 100966504 | Click to see | 454.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 24-Methylene-cycloartanol palmitate | 101933290 | Click to see | 679.20 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| 24-Methylenecycloartanol | 94204 | Click to see | 440.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Oxosteroids / 16-oxosteroids | |||||
| (1R,2S,5S,6R,9S,10S,13S,15R,16S)-6-ethyl-15,16-dihydroxy-5-methyl-17-oxapentacyclo[14.2.1.01,13.02,10.05,9]nonadecan-7-one | 21634667 | Click to see | 348.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Pregnane steroids / Gluco/mineralocorticoids, progestogins and derivatives | |||||
| 2beta,3beta-Dihydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-16-one | 101712286 | Click to see | 334.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Steroidal glycosides / Steroidal saponins | |||||
| Mannioside A | 49799046 | Click to see CC1CCC2(C(C3(C(O2)CC4C3(CCC5C4CC=C6C5(CCC(C6)OC7C(C(C(C(O7)CO)O)OC8C(C(C(C(O8)C)O)O)O)O)C)C)O)C)OC1 | 738.90 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/S12272-001-1208-3 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| gamma-Sitosterol | 457801 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Glucoclionasterol | 12309067 | Click to see | 576.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Poriferasterol | 5281330 | Click to see | 412.70 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Sitogluside | 5742590 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C | 576.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Stigmasterol Glucoside | 6602508 | Click to see | 574.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Stigmasteryl-beta-d-glucopyranoside | 12895774 | Click to see CCC(C=CC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C | 574.80 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Proline and derivatives | |||||
| (2R)-1-methylpyrrolidin-1-ium-2-carboxylate | 6951136 | Click to see | 129.16 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (4R)-4-Hydroxy-1-methyl-L-proline | 11768700 | Click to see CN1CC(CC1C(=O)O)O | 145.16 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Lactones / Gamma butyrolactones | |||||
| (3R,4S,5S)-3-[(Z)-hexadec-7-enyl]-4-hydroxy-5-methyloxolan-2-one | 102316568 | Click to see | 338.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (3R,4S,5S)-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-(13-phenyltridecyl)oxolan-2-one | 102316566 | Click to see | 374.60 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (3R,4S,5S)-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3-tetradecyloxolan-2-one | 11174423 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC1C(C(OC1=O)C)O | 312.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| (3R)-3alpha-(11-Phenylundecyl)-4alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-methyl-4,5-dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one | 102316567 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(=O)O1)CCCCCCCCCCCC2=CC=CC=C2)O | 346.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |