Genus of about 40 species of sparsely brunched, evergreen shrubs and trees from forest, scrub, and dry, open slopes. They occur in the Canary Islands and throughout tropical Africa, W. Africa, with one species in W. America. Most Dracaenas are false Palms - the leafless woody trunk and crown of leaves giving a distinct Palm-like appearance, but in fact they are unrelated to the True Palms.