Apocynaceae
Sign in to saveApocynaceae (, from Apocynum, Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable members of the family include oleander, dogbanes, milkweeds, wax plants and periwinkles. The family is native to the European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members as well. The former family Asclepiadaceae (now known as Asclepiadoideae) is considered a subfamily of Apocynaceae and contains 348 genera. A lis
AI overview
Apocynaceae, known as the dogbane family, is a large group of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, vines, and succulents found across tropical, subtropical, and some temperate regions worldwide. The family is notable for containing familiar plants like oleander, milkweeds, and periwinkles, and historically some members were used as poison.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderGentianales
- FamilyApocynaceae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Description
- Growth pattern
- Leaves and stems
- Inflorescence and fruit
- Taxonomy
- Distribution and habitat
- Ecology
- Toxicity
- Uses
- Gallery
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Pachycaul species
- References
- External links
- Further reading
Apocynaceae (, from Apocynum, Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable members of the family include oleander, dogbanes, milkweeds, wax plants and periwinkles. The family is native to the European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members as well. The former family Asclepiadaceae (now known as Asclepiadoideae) is considered a subfamily of Apocynaceae and contains 348 genera. A list of Apocynaceae genera may be found here.
Many species are tall trees found in tropical forests, but some grow in tropical dry (xeric) environments. Perennial herbs also occur in temperate zones. Many of these plants have milky latex, and many species are poisonous if ingested, the family being rich in genera containing alkaloids and cardiac glycosides, those containing the latter often finding use as arrow poisons. Some genera of Apocynaceae, such as Adenium, bleed clear sap without latex when damaged, and others, such as Pachypodium, have milky latex apart from their sap.