Acokanthera oppositifolia

Acokanthera oppositifolia is a shrub used as the source of an arrow poison and to coat caltrops made from the sharp fruits of the puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris). All plants of the genus Acokanthera contain toxic cardiac glycosides strong enough to cause death. Acokanthera oppositifolia is widespread in southern and central Africa from Cape Province north to The Democratic Republic of the Congo + Tanzania.[1][2]

Acokanthera oppositifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Acokanthera
Species:
A. oppositifolia
Binomial name
Acokanthera oppositifolia
Synonyms[1]
  • Cestrum oppositifolium Lam. 1792
  • Toxicophlaea thunbergii Harv.
  • Acokanthera venenata (Burm.f.) G.Don
  • Acokanthera lamarckii G.Don
  • Carissa oppositifolia (Lam.) Pichon
  • Cestrum venenatum Burm.f.
  • Acokanthera venenata (Burm.f.) G.Don
  • Toxicophlaea thunbergii Harv.
  • Toxicophlaea cestroides A.DC.
  • Pleiocarpa hockii De Wild.
  • Acokanthera longiflora Stapf
  • Carissa acokanthera Pichon
  • Acokanthera rhodesica Merxm.
  • Carissa longiflora (Stapf) G.H.M.Lawr.

Acokanthera schimperi is employed for the same purpose.

Unlike all other parts of the plant, the ripe fruit is sweet and edible. Unripe fruit are still poisonous, so only really ripe fruit are eaten.[3]

References
  1. "World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew". apps.kew.org. Retrieved 2017-08-07.
  2. Calane da Silva, M., Izdine, S. & Amuse, A.B. (2004). A Preliminary Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Mozambique: 1-184. SABONET, Pretoria.
  3. Ruffo, Christopher K.; Birnie, Ann; Tengnäs, Bo (2002). Edible wild plants of Tanzania. Regional Land Management Unit/Sida. ISBN 9966-896-62-7.


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