Strophanthus
| Strophanthus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Strophanthus preussii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Strophanthus DC., 1802 |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
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] The name (strophos anthos, "twisted cord flower") derives from the long twisted threadlike segments of the corolla, which in one species (S. preussii) attain a length of 30–35 cm.
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 of the African tribes used Strophanthus as the principal ingredient in arrow poison. 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. Often indeed no other action can be observed. It is used to produce the drug Ouabain which was taken as a cardiac stimulant to treat heart failure, and is similar to the drug Digoxin produced from Digitalis purpurea.
- 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
Notes and references
- 1 2 3 4 "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Retrieved May 17, 2014.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.