Strophanthus preussii

Strophanthus preussii, the Preuss' strophanthus,^[3] is a plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae.

Strophanthus preussii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Strophanthus
Species:	S. preussii
Binomial name
Strophanthus preussii Engl. & Pax[2]
Synonyms[2]
Strophanthus bracteatus Franch.

Description

Strophanthus preussii grows as an evergreen liana up to 12 m (40 ft) long or a shrub up to 5 m (16 ft) tall, with a stem diameter up to 2.5 cm (1 in). Its fragrant flowers feature a white to orange corolla, red-striped or spotted on the inside. The corollas have very long tails up to 30 cm (12 in) long.^[4] Other vernacular names for the plant include "spider tresses" and "poison arrow vine".^[5]

Distribution and habitat

Strophanthus preussii is native to a wide area of tropical Africa, from Guinea in the west, east to Tanzania and south to Angola.^[1] Its habitat is forested areas from sea level to 1,400 m (4,600 ft) altitude.^[5]

Conservation

Strophanthus preussii has been assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. The species is broadly distributed and is not currently facing any major threats.^[1]

Uses

Traditional medicinal uses of Strophanthus preussii include treatment of gonorrhoea and healing of sores. The plant has also been used as arrow poison.^[5]

Gallery

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  Coloured plate from Curtis's Botanical Magazine 1909
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