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Characteristics of Apocynaceae Plants and Introduction to Common Species

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Latin scientific name: Apocynaceae English name: Dogbane Family Introduction: Trees, shrubs, or vines, rarely perennial herbs; with milky sap or watery juice. Leaves simple, opposite or whorled, rarely alternate, entire, rarely finely toothed, pinnate-veined; stipules absent or reduced to glands, rarely false stipules. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic; solitary or in cymes. Calyx connate at base, (4)5-lobed, lobes usually imbricate in bud, often with glands at the inner base; corolla sympetalous, lobes (4)5, imbricate, base margins overlapping to the left or right, rarely valvate, corolla throat often with a corona, scales, or hairy appendages; stamens 5, inserted on the corolla tube or throat, included or exserted, filaments free, anthers 2-celled, free or coherent and adhering to the stigma, pollen granular; disk present, rarely absent; ovary superior, rarely semi-inferior, 1-2-celled, carpels free or connate, style 1, stigma 2-lobed, ovules 1 to many. Fruit a berry, drupe, capsule, or follicle. Seeds often comose at one end, rarely at both ends, or with only a membranous wing or lacking both wings and hairs; endosperm usually present, embryo straight.

Latin scientific name: Apocynaceae

English name: Dogbane Family

Introduction:

Trees, shrubs, or vines, rarely perennial herbs; with milky sap or watery juice. Leaves simple, opposite or whorled, rarely alternate, entire, rarely finely toothed, pinnate-veined; stipules absent or reduced to glands, rarely false stipules. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic; solitary or in cymes. Calyx connate at base, (4)5-lobed, lobes usually imbricate in bud, often with glands at the inner base; corolla sympetalous, lobes (4)5, imbricate, base margins overlapping to the left or right, rarely valvate, corolla throat often with a corona, scales, or hairy appendages; stamens 5, inserted on the corolla tube or throat, included or exserted, filaments free, anthers 2-celled, free or coherent and adhering to the stigma, pollen granular; disk present, rarely absent; ovary superior, rarely semi-inferior, 1-2-celled, carpels free or connate, style 1, stigma 2-lobed, ovules 1 to many. Fruit a berry, drupe, capsule, or follicle. Seeds often comose at one end, rarely at both ends, or with only a membranous wing or lacking both wings and hairs; endosperm usually present, embryo straight.

About 250 genera and over 2000 species, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with a few extending to temperate zones. In China, there are 46 genera, 176 species, and 33 varieties.

This family is one of the main families of the tropical flora. Generally toxic, especially the seeds and milky sap; containing various types of alkaloids or glycosides, it is an important source of medicinal raw materials, used to treat hypertension, rheumatic pain, lymphatic tuberculosis, typhoid, and other conditions, and has cardiotonic and other medicinal effects; it can also be used to make pesticides for insect control. Some species contain latex, which can be extracted to manufacture daily rubber products. Some species have tough fibers, which are important raw materials for the textile, papermaking, and national defense industries.

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