View source for Strophanthus

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Apocynaceae
|genus=Strophanthus
|features=evergreen
|Temp Metric=°F
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|image=Strophanthus preussi0.jpg
|image_width=240
}}
'''''Strophanthus''''' is a genus of 35-40 species of [[flowering plant]]s in the family [[Apocynaceae]], native mainly to tropical [[Africa]], extending to [[South Africa]], with a few species in [[Asia]], from southern [[India]] to the [[Philippines]] and southern [[China]]. The name (''strophos anthos'', "twisted cord flower") derives from the long twisted threadlike segments of the [[Corolla (flower)|corolla]], which in one species (''S. preussii'') attain a length of 30–35&nbsp;cm. 

The genus includes [[vine]]s, [[shrub]]s and small [[tree]]s. The [[leaf|leaves]] are opposite or whorled, simple broad lanceolate, 2–20&nbsp;cm long, with an entire margin.

Several of the African tribes used ''Strophanthus'' as the principal ingredient in [[arrow poison]].

{{Inc|
Strophanthus (Greek, twisted cord and flower, alluding to the corolla-segms.). Incl. Roupellia. Apocynaceae. Shrubs, often scandent, glabrous or more or less hairy, with persistent or deciduous foliage, suitable for the warmhouse: lvs. opposite, rarely ternate: infl. terminal, often at the ends of short branches, corymbose, many- or few-fld. or reduced to solitary fls.: fls. mostly showy; sepals 5, imbricate, sometimes foliaceous; corolla funnelform or campanulate, tube cylindrical, long or short, mouth with paired appendages alternating with the lobes which are 5, acuminate and produced into very long filiform tails; disk none: mericarps 2, follicular, oblong or fusiform, divaricate.—About 40 species, Trop. and S. Afr. and Trop. Asia.

S. dichotomus, DC. Erect shrub with stout branches: lvs. elliptic-oblong or obovate, 3-5 1/2 x 2-3 in., obtuse, acute or apiculate, rather coriaceous: cymes much shorter than the lvs., dichotomous, few-fld.: sepals subulate from an ovate base; corolla-tube and throat 3/4 - 1 in. long, whitish tails 5-7 in. long, purple: follicles very large, 8 x 2 in., divergent. India, Malaya, and Java. H.U. 2, p. 225. —S. grandiflorus, Stapf (S. Petersianus var. grandiflorus, N. E. Br.). Dense shrub, 5-6 ft. high, with long, slender, reddish brown branches: lvs. ovate to elliptic-oblong, shortly acuminate, 2-3 x 3/4-1 in., membranous: cymes terminal on leafy branches, usually reduced to a single fl.: sepals oblong to lanceolate-oblong, erect; corolla wide, purplish without, milk-white or creamy within, the lobes ovate, produced to filiform tails about 6 in. long. Trop. and S. Afr. B.M. 7390.—S. gratus, Franch. (Roupellia grata, Wall. & Hook.). Small glabrous tree or shrub: lvs. oblong, short-acuminate, base obtuse or subacute, leathery: cymes terminal, sessile, few- to 12-fld.: fls. white or tinged with pink, large; sepals broad, oblong or obovate; corolla-tube 1 1/2 in. long, lobes broad, obovate, 3/4-1 in. long; ovary glabrous: follicles obtusely acuminate. Trop. Afr. B.M. 4466. G.C. III. 28:151. J.F. 1:16.—S. Ledienii, Stein. Shrub, with softly and sparingly pubescent branches, brown when young: lvs. obovate, abruptly cuspidate, cuneate at the base: cymes sessile, terminal, 3-7-fld.: sepals linear from an elliptic base, acute; corolla-tube pale yellow, the lobes deep yellow, ovate, 6-8 in. long, including the tails: follicles slender, brown, mottled with yellow, coriaceous. Trop. Afr. Gt. 36:1241.—S. Preussii, Engl. & Pax. Rambling or climbing shrub, up to 12 ft. high: branches glabrous, brown or red-brown: lvs. elliptic or oblong to obovate or ovate, abruptly acuminate, 2-5 x 1 1/2-2 in.: cymes terminal, corymbose, many-fld.: sepals linear-oblong or linear; corolla cream-colored to orange with purple spots and streaks in the throat and purple tails, the lobes ovate, suddenly constricted and produced into tails 1 ft. long. Trop. Afr. B.M. 8250.—S. speciosus, Reber (S. capensis, A. DC.). Glabrous, rambling shrub: branches trailing on other shrubs, sometimes running high up, olive-green: lvs. in whorls of 3-4, rarely the uppermost opposite, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute, rarely acuminate, 1 1/2 – 3 1/2 x 1/2 - 1 in., leathery: cymes terminal or pseudo-axillary, corymbiform, few- to 12-fld.: sepals lanceolate to linear, sometimes recurved; corolla cream-colored to yellow or orange spotted with red, the lobes attenuate from a somewhat broader base into linear spreading tails about 1-1 1/2 in. long: follicles very slender, lanceolate, about 6 in. long. S. Afr.
{{SCH}}
}}