About Dracaena angolensis (Welw. ex Carrière) Byng & Christenh.
Dracaena angolensis, also commonly called spear sansevieria, produces striped, elongated, smooth, greenish-gray subcylindrical leaves. Each leaf reaches up to 3 cm (1 inch) in diameter, and leaves can grow up to 2 m (7 ft) above the soil surface. This species grows in a fan-shaped form, with its stiff leaves emerging from a basal rosette. It is distinguished by subcylindrical leaves rather than the strap-shaped leaves typical of related species. This leaf shape develops because the plant does not express the genes that would cause a cylindrical leaf bud to differentiate along a dorsoventral axis, which would create distinct top and bottom surfaces for the leaf blade. Its flowers are 3 cm (1 inch) long, tubular, greenish-white, and tinged with pink. This is a drought-tolerant species in cultivation. During its growing season, it only needs to be watered about once every other week. In the winter months, it can be watered just once per month. The species was first described by Wenceslas Bojer in 1837. Under its former synonym Sansevieria cylindrica, its common name was chosen through a competition held in a Dutch national newspaper. It is a popular ornamental houseplant because it is easy to grow and care for indoors when provided with bright sunlight and other necessary growing conditions. In Brazil, where it is called lança de São Jorge ("St. George's spear"), it is grown outside homes to ward off evil that could harm the household. It also holds an important place in Umbanda, the Afro-Brazilian syncretic religion, where it represents the orisha Ogum, because Ogum is syncretized with St. George.
