It is a tall, little or unbranched tree, up to 4 m tall. It can be easily identified from the purple or purplish-green leaves with light green circular patches.
Foliage
Its spirally arranged, stalked, leaves have leathery leaf blades that are oval to lance-shaped or egg-shaped, green with a purplish tinge and light green circular patches, and 30–90 by 10–13 cm.
Flowers
Its flowers are 2.5 cm long, purple outside, white inside, and arranged in loose clusters of 3–4.
Fruits
Its fruits are about 2.5 cm and orange when ripe.
Habitat
It grows in damp to wet open areas of forest edges and freshwater swamps. It occurs locally in Mandai Forest and Nee Soon Swamp Forest.
Associated Fauna
Its flowers are insect-pollinated while its fruits and seeds are probably eaten and dispersed by birds or mammals.
Etymology
Greek dracaena, a dragon, referring to the bright red dried red resin, called dragon’s blood, obtained from various species including those of Dracaena; cantleyi, commemorating Nathaniel Cantley, the former curator of the Singapore Botanic Gardens (1880–1886)
