Strophanthus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Gentianales

Familia: Apocynaceae
Subfamilia: Apocynoideae
Tribus: Nerieae
Subtribus: Alafiinae
Genus: Strophanthus
Species: S. amboensis – S. arnoldianus – S. barteri – S. bequaertii –S. boivinii –S. bullenianus – S. caudatus – S. congoensis – S. courmontii – S. demeusei – S. divaricatus – S. eminii – S. gardeniiflorus – S. gerrardii – S. glabriflorus – S. gossweileri – S. gracilis – S. gratus – S. hispidus – S. hypoleucus – S. kombe – S. ledienii – S. longicalyx – S. luteolus – S. mirabilis – S. mortehanii – S. nicholsonii – S. perakensis – S. petersianus – S. preussii – . puberulus – S. sarmentosus – S. singaporianus – S. speciosus – S. thollonii – S. vanderijstii – S. wallichii – S. welwitschii – S. wightianus – S. zimmermannianus
Name

Strophanthus DC., 1802.

Typus: S. sarmentosus – DC., vide H.J.Beentje, 1982.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Cercocoma Wall. ex G.Don, Gen. Hist. 4: 83. (1838)
Typus: Cercocoma singaporiana Wall. ex G.Don
Christya Ward & Harv., J. Bot. (Hooker) 4: 134, t. 21. (1841)
Typus: Christya speciosa Ward & Harv.
Roupellia Wall. & Hook. ex Benth., Bot. Mag. 4466. (1849)
Typus: Roupellia grata Wall. & Hook. ex Benth.
Faskia Lour. ex B.A.Gomes, Mem. Acad. Real Sci. Lisboa, 2 Cl. Sci. Moraes, n.s., 4(1): 28 (1868)
Strophanthus sect. Roupellina Baill., Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 757. (1888)
Typus: Strophanthus boivinii Baill.
Zygonerion Baill., Bull. Mens. Soc. Linn. Paris 1: 758. (1888)
Typus: Zygonerion welwitschii Baill.
Roupellina (Baill.) Pichon, Mém. Inst. Sci. Madagascar, Sér. B, Biol. Vég. 2: 64. (1950)

References

De Candolle, A.P. 1802. Bulletin des Sciences, par la Societe Philomatique 3: 122.
Beentje, H.J. 1982. Belmontia, n.s. 13: 17.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2017. Strophanthus in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2017 Aug. 23. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2017. Strophanthus. Published online. Accessed: Aug. 23 2017.

Strophanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1802. It is native primarily to tropical Africa, extending to South Africa, with a few species in Asia from southern India to New Guinea and southern China.[1][2] The genus name is a compound of the Greek words στροφος (strophos) "twisted" and ανθοσ (anthos) "flower", in reference to the corolla lobes which, in some species - notably S. petersianus (see below) - resemble long twisted ribbons or threads and can reach a length of 30–35 cm. This trait, in addition to colouring involving combinations of bright pinks, purples and oranges, combine to make the flowers among the most ornamental in the plant kingdom.[2]

The genus includes vines, shrubs, and small trees. The leaves are opposite or whorled, simple broad lanceolate, 2–20 cm long, with an entire margin.

Several African tribes used Strophanthus as the principal ingredient in arrow poison. After dipping the arrows of their hunting weapons into a strong concentration of the ingredient, the effect was to stun their prey.

Plants from this genus produce toxic alkaloids and cardiac glycosides g-strophanthin (syn. ouabain), k-strophanthin, and e-strophanthin. As ordinarily administered, the drug acts on the heart before influencing any other organ or tissue.[2] Indeed, often no other effect may be observed. Some of the chemicals in the plants are used to produce the drug ouabain, which was taken as a cardiac stimulant to treat heart failure and sometimes g-strophanthin is advocated as an alternative treatment to more contemporary practices. The effect is similar to that of the drug digoxin, which is produced from Digitalis purpurea.[2]

Gallery
Flowers

Strophanthus amboensis

Strophanthus boivinii

Strophanthus caudatus (coloured plate)

Strophanthus divaricatus

Strophanthus gratus

Strophanthus hispidus (coloured plate)

Strophanthus kombe (botanical drawing)

Strophanthus petersianus

Strophanthus preussii

Strophanthus sarmentosus

Strophanthus speciosus

Species[1]

Strophanthus amboensis - Zaïre to Namibia
Strophanthus arnoldianus - Zaïre
Strophanthus barteri - Liberia to Gabon
Strophanthus bequaertii - E Zaïre, Rwanda, SW Uganda
Strophanthus boivinii - Madagascar
Strophanthus bullenianus - Zaïre to Nigeria
Strophanthus caudatus - S China, SE Asia, New Guinea
Strophanthus congoensis - Zaïre to Cameroon
Strophanthus courmontii - Kenya to Zimbabwe
Strophanthus demeusei - Zaïre
Strophanthus divaricatus - S China, Vietnam, Laos
Strophanthus eminii - Zaïre, Zambia, Tanzania
Strophanthus gardeniiflorus - S Zaïre, N Zambia, E Angola
Strophanthus gerrardii - Mozambique, Swaziland, NE South Africa
Strophanthus gracilis - Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon
Strophanthus gratus - Zaïre to Senegal
Strophanthus hispidus - Senegal to Uganda to Angola
Strophanthus holosericeus - S Zaïre, N Zambia
Strophanthus hypoleucos - Mozambique, Tanzania
Strophanthus kombe - Kenya to Namibia
Strophanthus ledienii - W Zaïre, NW Angola
Strophanthus luteolus - Mozambique, South Africa
Strophanthus mirabilis - Somalia, Kenya
Strophanthus mortehanii - Zaïre to Cameroon
Strophanthus nicholsonii - Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Strophanthus parviflorus - Cameroon to Angola
Strophanthus perakensis - Indochina, Perak in Malaysia
Strophanthus petersianus - Kenya to KwaZulu-Natal
Strophanthus preussii - Liberia to Tanzania to Angola
Strophanthus puberulus - Sumbawa in, Indonesia
Strophanthus sarmentosus - Liberia to Uganda to Angola
Strophanthus singaporianus - W Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo
Strophanthus speciosus - South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe
Strophanthus thollonii - Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast†
Strophanthus vanderijstii - Zaïre, Angola
Strophanthus wallichii - S China, Himalayas, Indochina, W Malaysia
Strophanthus welwitschii - Tanzania to Angola
Strophanthus wightianus - S India
Strophanthus zimmermannianus - Kenya, Tanzania

formerly included in genus[1]

Strophanthus aambe = Papuechites aambe
Strophanthus balansae = Anodendron paniculatum
Strophanthus jackianus = Wrightia dubia

References

"World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Retrieved May 17, 2014.
Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Strophanthus" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 1041–1042.