Dragon Trees and Mother-in-Law's Tongues

In terms of morphology, the underground organs and stems of both taxa are very similar, often possessing secondary thickening. Above ground, “woody”, often branched stems are more prevalent in Dracaena but present (and absent) in both taxa. The degree of leaf succulence is the most easily observed difference between Sansevieria and Dracaena, with the former possessing flat, sword-shaped to elliptic or cylindric-attenuate xeromorphic leaves, sometimes with a hard terminal spine and the latter more mesomorphic leaves with soft caudate apex, but intermediates exist. Leaves in both genera can be pseudopetiolate. Many, but not all, Sansevieria species have white or brown leaf margins. There is a depressed central longitudinal compound vein in most Dracaena species and, for example, Sansevieria sambiranensis from NW Madagascar, but not in D. draco L. and its allies. Variegation is prevalent in both genera, hence their horticultural importance as houseplants in temperate zones.