Apocynaceae

Vincetoxicum Wolf

First published in Gen. Pl.: 130 (1776)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Europe, NW. Africa, Socotra, Asia to SW. Pacific.

Descriptions

Goyder, D. J., Gilbert, M. G. & Venter, H. J. T. (2020). Apocynaceae (part 2). In: M. A. García (ed.), Flora Zambesiaca, Vol. 7(3). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Morphology General Habit
Vines or pyrophytic herbs; latex clear but sometimes becoming cloudy on exposure to air
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences extra-axillary, frequently lax and with many flower clusters along an extended axis, more rarely few-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla deeply five-lobed, normally adaxially with indumentum
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corolline corona absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynostegium
Gynostegial corona consisting of five discrete lobes adnate to the staminal column below the anther wings, or vestigial (V. cernuum)
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther connectives with apical appendages
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinia
Pollinia more or less horizontal, rarely pendant or erect, globose to ovoid or cylindrical, minute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Stylar head flat or capitate, but beaked in V. cernuum
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Follicles usually occurring singly, smooth, wingless; seeds smooth, winged, comose.
Distribution
About 150 species with its centre of diversity in Old World tropics and subtropics.
[FZ]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Small erect shrubs with paired leaves borne on contracted shoots or on new growths, sometimes younger branches twining; latex clear
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences few-­flowered, ± umbelliform; flowers very small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Gynostegial corona of five distinct fleshy staminal lobes, never exceeding the gynostegium Corolline corona absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther connectives with apical appendages
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinarium
Pollinaria with a pair of pendent pollinia
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic head flat or conical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicles single, thin-walled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds smooth, winged, with a tuft of hairs at one end.
Distribution
Two species in East Africa and Arabia.
[FSOM]

Apocynaceae (part 2), David Goyder, Timothy Harris, Siro Masinde, Ulrich Meve, Johan Venter. Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2012

Morphology General Habit
Subshrubs or slender woody twiners, stiffly branched.
Morphology General Exudate
Latex clear
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite on new growth or appearing whorled or clustered due to severe contraction of lateral shoots.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences alternate and extra-axillary, but often appearing to be opposite and axillary due to contraction of short lateral shoots, few-flowered, ± umbelliform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers minute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corolline corona absent Gynostegial corona of five distinct fleshy staminal lobes arising from the base of the gynostegium and never exceeding it
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynostegium
Gynostegium sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther connectives with apical appendages
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinarium
Pollinaria with a pair of pendant pollinia
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Stylar head flat or conical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicles single, thin-walled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds flattened, smooth, winged, with a coma of silky hairs.
Note
Two species in East Africa and Arabia.
[FTEA]

Apocynaceae (part 2), David Goyder, Timothy Harris, Siro Masinde, Ulrich Meve, Johan Venter. Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2012

Morphology General Habit
Erect or twining shrubs, vines or pyrophytic herbs.
Morphology General Exudate
Latex clear
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences extra-axillary, frequently lax and with many flower clusters along an extended axis, more rarely few-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla deeply five-lobed, normally adaxially with indumentum
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corolline corona absent Gynostegial corona consisting of five discrete lobes adnate to the staminal column below the anther wings
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther connectives with apical appendages.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinia
Pollinia ± horizontal or pendant, rarely erect, globose to ovoid or cylindrical, minute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Stylar head flat or capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicles usually occuring singly, smooth, wingless.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds flattened, smooth, winged, with a coma of silky hairs.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
About 100 species in the Old World tropics and subtropics.
Morphology General Habit
Vines, erect herbs or small shrubs; latex clear
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences frequently lax and with many flowers, more rarely few-flowered
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla deeply 5-lobed, normally adaxially with indumentum
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corolline corona absent Gynostegial corona consisting of five discrete lobes adnate to the staminal column below the anther wings
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther connectives with apical appendages
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinarium
Pollinaria ± horizontal on the top of the gynostegium, the pollinia pendent, spreading or erect relative to the corpsculum, ovoid to globose, minute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic head ± flat, capitate or conical-Follicles usually occurring singly, smooth, wingless; seeds smooth, winged, with a tuft of hairs at one end.
[FSOM]

Apocynaceae (part 2), David Goyder, Timothy Harris, Siro Masinde, Ulrich Meve, Johan Venter. Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2012

Morphology General Habit
Subshrubs or twiners from a woody rootstock.
Morphology General Exudate
Latex clear
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences extra-axillary, flowers small
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corolline corona absent Gynostegial corona consisting of two whorls: a ring of connate staminal and interstaminal parts arising from the base of the gynostegium and appressed to the corolla, and a whorl of staminal lobes radiating from the back of the anthers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynostegium
Gynostegium sessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther connectives with apical appendages.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinia
Pollinia pendant, attached subapically to the translator arms
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Apex of stylar head domed-conical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicles almost always single
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds flattened, ovate, with a coma of silky hairs.
Note
A monotypic genus in East Africa.
[FTEA]

Apocynaceae (part 2), David Goyder, Timothy Harris, Siro Masinde, Ulrich Meve, Johan Venter. Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2012

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs or small shrubs with twining stems.
Morphology General Exudate
Latex clear, sparse
Morphology Leaves
Leaves semi-succulent, opposite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx of 5 free sepals
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-tube campanulate; lobes narrowly triangular, contorted in bud
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corolline corona absent Gynostegial corona of vestigial staminal lobes linked by minute interstaminal pockets around the base of the column
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal column raised slightly above the base of the corolla-tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments short.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anthers oblong, erect with rounded backs, the horny anther wings incurved toward the centre of the flower; anther appendages sub-erect, membranous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinarium
Pollinaria each with 2 pollinia suspended vertically from the short caudicles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Stylar head produced beyond the anthers into a beak
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicles lanceolateacuminate, smooth.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Plants with colourless latex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences one per node, umbelliform
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla fused for most of its length, densely covered with long, slender hairs inside
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona gynostegial, annular, shorter than the gynostegium, which is elevated by a bulge
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinia
Pollinia pendulous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmatic head conical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicles single
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds papillose, with a tuft of hairs at one end.
Note
Endemic to Somalia.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0