Dragon blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari) – Socotra Island

It tells the story of the first drop of blood between the two brothers “Abel and Cain”, the Dragon’s Blood is the most important long-lived tree on the island, which shorthands the most important aromatic trees located in the Hajhar, Ayhavt and mountainous area island series. It is truly a blessed tree and a sign of beauty by which the island of Socotra in Yemen is characterized among the trees of the world. These trees grow abundantly on the rocky soil of the island at an altitude of 2,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level and according to ancient folk beliefs, the tree disturbs jinn and expels ghosts and evil spirits from human and animal bodies.

Its name is related to the myth that passed between generations in Yemen, which tells the story of the first drop of blood and the first bleeding between the two brothers Cain and Abel, and according to legend, Cain and Abel were the first to live. on the island of Socotra, and when the first historical murder – mentioned in the Holy Quran – in history took place and blood was shed, the tree of the Dragon’s Blood germinated, which is the tree of the blood of the two brothers. Cain and Abel. “, while historical sources say that it dates back to the beginning of the first millennium BC.

The dragon blood tree has a unique and strange appearance, with an “inverted, densely packed crown that is shaped like an umbrella held upright.” This evergreen species is named for its dark red resin, which is known as “dragon’s blood.” Unlike most monocot plants, Dracaena displays secondary growth, D. cinnabari even has growth zones that resemble tree rings found in dicot tree species. Along with other arborescent Dracaena species, it has a distinctive growth habit called a “dracoid habit.”[3] Its leaves are found only at the end of its youngest branches; All of its leaves are shed every 3 or 4 years before new leaves mature simultaneously. Branching tends to occur when terminal bud growth stops, either due to flowering or traumatic events (e.g., herbivory).

Its fruits are small fleshy berries that contain between 1 and 4 seeds. As they develop, they change from green to black and then turn orange when they mature. The berries are consumed by birds (e.g. Onychognatus species) and are therefore dispersed. The seeds measure between 4 and 5 mm in diameter and weigh an average of 68 mg.[4] The berries exude a deep red resin, known as dragon’s blood.[5]

Al igual que otras monocotiledóneas, como las palmeras, el árbol de la sangre del dragón crece en la punta del tallo, con hojas largas y rígidas en rosetas densas al final (4, 5, 7). Se ramifica en la madurez para producir una copa en forma de paraguas, con hojas que miden hasta 60 cm de largo y 3 cm de ancho. El tronco y las ramas de la sangre de dragón son gruesos y robustos y muestran ramificaciones dicotómicas, donde cada una de las ramas se divide repetidamente en dos secciones.

The dragon’s blood tree typically produces its flowers around March, although flowering varies depending on location. The flowers tend to grow at the end of the branches. The plants have inflorescences and bear small clusters of fragrant, white or green flowers. The fruits take five months to fully ripen. The fruits are described as a fleshy berry, turning from green to black as it gradually ripens. The fleshy berry ends up being an orange-red color that contains one to three seeds. Birds and other animals often eat and disperse the berries.

The different shape of the dragon’s blood tree is an adaptation to survive in arid conditions with little land, such as on mountain tops. The large, compact canopy provides shade and reduces evaporation. This shade also helps the survival of seedlings growing beneath the adult tree, which explains why trees tend to grow closer together.

The first description of D. cinnabari was made during a survey of Socotra led by Lieutenant Wellsted of the East India Company in 1835. It was first called Pterocarpus draco, but in 1880, Scottish botanist Isaac Bayley Balfour made a formal description of it. the species. and renamed it Dracaena cinnabari.[6] Of between 60 and 100 species of Dracaena, D. cinnabari is one of six species that grow as trees.

Although most of its ecological habitats are still intact, there is a growing population with industrial and tourism development. This is putting more pressure on vegetation through the process of logging, overgrazing, deforestation and infrastructure development plans. Although the dragon blood tree is widespread, it has become fragmented due to development that has occurred in its habitats. Many of their populations are suffering due to poor regeneration. Human activities have greatly reduced the dragon’s blood population through overgrazing and feeding flowers and fruits to the island’s livestock. One of the biggest threats to the species is the gradual desiccation of the Socotra archipelago, which has been an ongoing process over the past hundreds of years. This has resulted in trees not flowering, and the duration of fog and cloud around the area also appears to be decreasing. The increase in arid environments is predicted to cause a 45 percent reduction in available habitat for D. cinnabari by 2080.[8]

Additional threats to the dragon’s blood tree include harvesting its resin and using the leaves to make rope. Currently, some of the dragon blood trees have been used to make beehives. This was generally prohibited; This shows how the species may be threatened by a breakdown in the island’s traditional practices. [citation needed]

The best preserved and largest stand of D. cinnabari is found on the limestone plateau called Rokeb di Firmihin. This forest of approximately 540 hectares (1,300 acres) has numerous rare and endemic species. Research shows that in the coming decades the number of trees in this forest will decrease due to a lack of natural regeneration

The trees can be harvested for their crimson red resin, called dragon’s blood, which was highly prized in the ancient world and is still used today. Around the Mediterranean basin it is used as a dye and as medicine, Socotrans uses it ornamentally, as well as for dyeing wool, gluing ceramics, breath fresheners and lipstick. Due to the belief that it is the blood of the dragon, it is also used in magic and alchemy rituals.[12] In 1883, Scottish botanist Isaac Bayley Balfour identified three grades of resin: the most valuable had a tear-like appearance, then a mixture of small chips and fragments, with the mixture of fragments and debris being the cheapest.[6] D. cinnabari resin is believed to have been the original source of dragon’s blood until other plants were used in its place during the medieval and Renaissance periods.[13]