Strophanthus speciosus

Strophanthus speciosus, commonly known as the forest poison rope, is a tree, shrub or woody climber which is native to southern Africa.[4]

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
(Ward & Harv.) Reber[3]
Synonyms[3]
  • Christya speciosa Ward & Harv.
  • Strophanthus capensis A.DC.

Description

Strophanthus speciosus grows as a tree or shrub 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.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Strophanthus speciosus is native to Zimbabwe, South Africa and Eswatini.[2][5] It occurs in forests and their margins from 300–1,400 metres (1,000–5,000 ft) altitude.[5]

Uses

Local medicinal uses of S. speciosus include snakebite treatment. The plant has also been used as arrow poison.[5] As with other species of Strophanthus it contains the cardiac glycoside strophanthin - plants of allied genera contain similar compounds.

  • 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
  1. 1868 illustration by Walter Hood Fitch (1817 – 1892) - Curtis's Botanical Magazine v94 (1868) Plate 5713
  2. Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) & IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2019). "Strophanthus speciosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T149511893A149511895. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  3. "Strophanthus speciosus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  4. Snyman, Hannelie (Kirstenbosch NBG). "Strophanthus speciosus (Ward & Harv.) Reber". PlantZAfrica. SANBI. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  5. Medicinal Plants. PROTA. 2008. p. 560. ISBN 978-9-05782-204-9.


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