Cynanchum | |
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In the foreground, Cynanchum aphyllum | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Apocynaceae |
Subfamily: | Asclepiadoideae |
Tribe: | Asclepiadeae |
Genus: | Cynanchum L. (1853) |
Species | |
262, see text [1] | |
Synonyms [1] | |
List
|
Cynanchum is a genus of about 300 species including some swallowworts, belonging to the family Apocynaceae. The taxon name comes from Greek kynos (meaning "dog") and anchein ("to choke"), hence the common name for several species is dog-strangling vine. Most species are non-succulent climbers or twiners. There is some evidence of toxicity. [2]
These plants are perennial herbs or subshrubs, often growing from rhizomes. The leaves are usually oppositely arranged and sometimes are borne on petioles. The inflorescences and flowers come in a variety of shapes.
Like other species of the milkweed family, these plants bear follicles, which are podlike dry fruits.
These species are found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Several species also grow in temperate regions.
The root of Cynanchum atratum is used in Chinese traditional medicine and called Bai wei. Several other species had traditional Chinese medicinal uses.
Cynanchum as defined in the late 20th century (to include about 400 species) is polyphyletic and is being broken up. Species are being moved to genera including Orthosia , Pentarrhinum , and Vincetoxicum , with a group of mostly Old World species staying in Cynanchum, [3] [4] and old genera such as Raphistemma brought to synonymy. Revision of the genus taxonomy in 2023 identified two new synonyms: Vincetoxicum sibiricum f. linearifolium, described from Shandong, China in 1877, but long neglected and Cynanchum gobicum, previously believed to be endemic to Mongolia. [5]
As of February 2023 [update] , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: [6]
The Asclepiadoideae are a subfamily of plants in the family Apocynaceae. Formerly, it was treated as a separate family under the name Asclepiadaceae, e.g. by APG II, and known as the milkweed family.
Stephanotis is a genus of flowering plants first described in 1806. The name derives from the Greek stephanōtís fit for a crown, derivative of stéphanos (masculine) crown. It contains evergreen, woody-stemmed lianas with a scattered distribution in several tropical and subtropical regions.
Oxypetalum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described with this name in 1810. The genus is native to South America.
Gonolobus is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described in 1803. It is native to South America, Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and the southern United States.
Marsdenia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810. It is named in honor of the plant collector and Secretary of the Admiralty, William Marsden. The plants are native to tropical regions in Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
Matelea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. It contains about 200 species, which are commonly known as milkvines. Some people consider Chthamalia to be a synonym to or a subgenus of Matelea.
Vincetoxicum is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae. Although the species in Vincetoxicum have sometimes been included in Cynanchum, chemical and molecular evidence shows that Vincetoxicum is more closely related to Tylophora, now included in Vincetoxicum. The generic name means "poison-beater" in Botanical Latin because of the plants' supposed antidotal effects against snakebite.
Periplocoideae is a subfamily of the dogbane plant family, Apocynaceae. It was not divided into tribes as of 2014.
Orthosia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1844.
Jobinia is a genus of flowering plants of the family Apocynaceae first described in 1885. It is native to South America and Central America.
Decanema is a small genus in the dogbane family first described as a genus in 1838. The group is endemic to Madagascar.
Heterostemma is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described in 1834. It is native to India, China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Australia, and certain islands in the Pacific.
Pentatropis is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1834. It is native to Africa and southern Asia.
Scyphostelma is a genus of plants in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). It includes 28 species, which range from Costa Rica to Venezuela and Bolivia.
Ruehssia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae. It is also in the Asclepiadoideae subfamily and Marsdenieae tribe.
Gongronemopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It includes nine species native to tropical Africa and Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, southern China, and the Philippines.
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