The native range of this species is: Andaman Islands, Assam, Bangladesh, through southern China, Indo-China and western Malesia.[3] In Vietnam the plant may be called phát dủ bầu dục (or phất dủ mảnh as D. gracilis).[4]
D. elliptica is a shrub, up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) high, with elliptic lanceolate leaves 200–300 millimetres (7.9–11.8 in) long. The yellow berries are about 10 millimetres (0.39 in) in diameter.[4] The subspecies or variety Dracaena eliptica gracilis of Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra is much smaller, with a stem only one foot (30 centimeters) high and about one-quarter inch (6 mm) thick[5]
