Acokanthera
Genus of plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Acokanthera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. It comprises 5 species and is generally restricted to Africa, although A. schimperi also occurs in Yemen.[1] Its sap contains the deadly toxin ouabain, a glycoside that causes heart failure. The sap is among the most commonly used in arrow poisons,[2][3] including those used for poaching elephants.[4]
from Köhler's Medizinal Pflanzen 1897
| Acokanthera | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Poison arrow plant, Acokanthera oblongifolia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Subfamily: | Rauvolfioideae |
| Tribe: | Carisseae |
| Genus: | Acokanthera |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
The poison it contains works by stopping the heart, like most other arrow poisons.[5]
- Species[1]
- Acokanthera laevigata Kupicha - Tanzania, Malawi
- Acokanthera oblongifolia (Hochst.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex B.D.Jacks. - Mozambique, South Africa
- Acokanthera oppositifolia (Lam.) Codd - widespread from Cape Province north to Zaire and Tanzania
- Acokanthera rotundata (Codd) Kupicha - Zimbabwe, Eswatini, eastern South Africa
- Acokanthera schimperi (A.DC.) Schweinf. - Yemen, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Socotra, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zaire
