Strophanthus speciosus
| Forest poison rope | |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| Strophanthus speciosus[1] | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Strophanthus |
| Species: | S. speciosus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Strophanthus speciosus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Strophanthus speciosus, commonly known as the forest poison rope, is a tree, shrub or woody climber which is native to southern Africa.[3]
Description
As a tree or shrub it may grow up to 4 metres (13 ft) tall, and as a liana up to 16 metres (52 ft) long, with a stem diameter up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in). Its flowers feature a white turning orange corolla, red-streaked on the inside.
Range and habitat
It is native to Zimbabwe, South Africa and Swaziland.[2][4] It occurs in forests and their margins from 300 metres (980 ft) to 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) altitude.
Uses
As with other species of Strophanthus it contains the cardiac glycoside strophanthin - plants of allied genera contain similar compounds. Local medicinal uses of S. speciosus include snakebite treatment. The plant has also been used as arrow poison.[4]
Gallery
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Habit -
foliage -
the two-horned fruit capsule, releasing seeds from both horns -
cloudy latex flowing from a scar where a leaf was broken off
References
- ^ 1868 illustration by Walter Hood Fitch (1817 – 1892) - Curtis's Botanical Magazine v94 (1868) Plate 5713
- ^ a b c "Strophanthus speciosus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
- ^ Snyman, Hannelie (Kirstenbosch NBG). "Strophanthus speciosus (Ward & Harv.) Reber". PlantZAfrica. SANBI. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ a b Medicinal Plants. PROTA. 2008. p. 560. ISBN 978-9-05782-204-9.
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