Useful information about the plant family

Family: Apocynaceae Juss. 1789

Description-internal

Usually lianes, less often trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes succulent and cactuslike

Distribution

Throughout the Neotropics, common particularly in lowland forests. Some species in temperate zones, e.g. Vinca

Floral characters

Inflorescences racemose or cymose, or flowers solitary; bisexual sepals 5, basally connate petals: 5, connate, forming a wheel-shaped, bell-shaped, funnel-shaped, or turbular corollar

Leaf characters

entire simple leaves; opposite or alternate;

Stipules

present or absent

Fruit characters

consisting of 2 follicles, or a berry or drupe; seeds often winged or comose

Glands

present

Hairs

present

Latex

present, usually profuse

Odor

present: flowers

Uses

Many ornamentals, incl. Allamanda, Cantharanthus, Mandevilla, Nerium, Pachypodium, Plumeria, Saba, Thevetia, Vinca timber from Alstonia, Aspidosperma, Dyera, Gonioma, Ochioma,; fibre from Anodendron, Chonemorpha rubber from Clitandra, Funtumia, Hancornia, Landolphia

Chemical characters

tissues with latificers and sap usually milky; with cardiac glycosides and various alkaloids; often with irioids

Distribution maps

(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):

Unterfamilie Periplocoideae Endlicher (Apocynaceae)
map: Good 1952

Unterfamilie Asclepiadoideae Burnett (Apocynaceae)
map: see Good 1952