Apocynaceae

The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants, including trees, shrubs, herbs, or lianas.

Many species are tall trees found in the tropical rainforest, and most are from the tropics and subtropics, but some come from tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also some perennial herbs from temperate zones. Many of these plants have milky sap; and many species are poisonous if ingested. Some genera of Apocynaceae, such as Adenium however, have either clear and milky, latex sap, and others, such as Pachypodium, always have clear sap.

Several plants of this family had economic uses in the past.

The genera Carpodinus, Landolphia, Hancornia, Funtumia and Mascarenhasia were used as a commercial source of inferior rubber.

The juice of Acokanthera species such as A. venenata and the milky juice of the Namibian Pachypodium has been used as venom for arrow tips by the Bushmen. Some sources (Rapananrivo et al. on p. 5) state that Pachypodium do not have a milky sap.

Several genera are grown as ornamental plants, including Amsonia (bluestar), Nerium (oleander), Vinca (periwinkle), Carissa (Natal plum, an edible fruit), Allamanda (golden trumpet), Plumeria (frangipani), Thevetia (lucky nut), Mandevilla (Savannah flower).

Rauvolfia cafra is the Quinine tree. Rauvolfia serpentina or Indian Snakeroot yields the alkaloids reserpine and rescinnamine.

Some are sources of drugs, such as cardiac glycosides, affecting the heart function, including Acokanthera, Apocynum, Cerbera, Nerium, Thevetia and Strophantus.

The genus Apocynum was used as a source of fiber by Native Americans.

The edible flower of Fernaldia pandurata (common name: Loroco) is a popular part of El Salvadorian and Guatemalan cooking.

• Endress and Bruyns (2000). “A revised classification of the Apocynaceae”. Botanical Review. 66: 1–56.
• Rapanarivo, S.H.J.V; Lavranos, J.J; Leeuwenberg, A.J.M.; AND Röösli, W. [Taxonomic revision of the genus Pachypodium. S.H.J.V Rapanarivo and A.J.M Leeuwenberg]; [The habitats of Pachyopdium species. S.H.J.V Rapanarivo]; [Cultivation. W. Röösli] (A.A. Balkema: Rotterdam, Brookfeild, 1999 p. 5) “. . . Adenium species have either clear sap or white latex. Pachypodium . . . always has clear sap”.

• Apocynaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards).
• UVSC Herbarium – Apocynaceae
• The Genera of Asclepiadoideae, Secamonoideae and Periplocoideae (Apocynaceae)

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