According to APG II, the Asclepiadaceae, commonly known as milkweed family, is a former plant family now treated as a subfamily in the Apocynaceae.
Hoodia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, native to Southern Africa.
The genera of plants within the tribe Stapelieae are all to varying degrees stem succulents. Many of the species resemble cacti, though are not closely related, as an example of convergent evolution. The stems are often angular, mostly four-angled in cross-section, but in some species there are six or more, with some species of Hoodia having more than thirty angles. In size they vary from less than 2.5 cm/1" in length to over 2 m/6" tall. The leaves are in most species reduced to rudiments, sometimes hardened and thorn-like, arranged on bumps or tubercles on the angles. Some species, however, still have recognisable leaves, most notably the Indian species Frerea indica, and some members of Tridentea. Stapeliads are most abundant in warm, dry climates. In Africa, there are two separate regions where Stapeliads have most diversified: northeast Africa, and Southern Africa. Several species are endemic to the small island of Socotra off the Horn of Africa. The Arabian Peninsula, and most specifically the country of Yemen, contain another concentration of species. Several more are found in the drier parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Myanmar. A single species, Caralluma europea is found in Europe, in the very southern part of the Iberian peninsula. Stapeliads are often regarded as a climax group within the family because of their often structurally complex flowers. Certain aspects of these reproductive parts mirror the pollination systems in the Orchid family and represent a case of parallel evolution though both groups are quite unrelated and have developed similar, though not identical means to achieve the ultimate goal of pollination and therefore reproduction. Most stapeliads use flies as pollinators, that are attracted to odours resembling dung or rotting meat, emanating from the flowers. Many of the flowers also bear some physical resemblance to rotting animal carcasses, leading to their popular name of Carrion Flowers. However, not all stapeliads smell bad, or attract flies. Some species use beetles, bees, wasps, butterflies or moths as pollinators. Stapeliad flowers range in size from mere millimetres in species of Echidnopsis and Pseudolithos to those of Stapelia gigantea that can reach 40 cm/16" in diameter, and are some the largest of flowers to be found on any species of succulent.
The genus Huernia consists of perennial, stem succulents from Eastern and Southern Africa and Arabia, first described as a genus in 1810.
The genus of the myrrhs, Commiphora, is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the (sub-) tropical regions of Africa, the western Indian Ocean islands, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Vietnam. The genus is drought-tolerant and common throughout the xerophytic scrub, seasonally dry tropical forests, and woodlands of these regions.
Rhodochiton is a genus of flowering plants within the family Plantaginaceae, native to southern Mexico and neighbouring Guatemala. They climb by means of twining leaf stalks. One of the three species, Rhodochiton atrosanguineus, the purple bell vine, is grown as an ornamental plant. All three species are sometimes included in Lophospermum.
Duvalia is a succulent plant genus in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, in the family Apocynaceae (dogbane).
Cerberiopsis is a genus of plant in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1873. The entire group is endemic to New Caledonia. The genus is related to Cerbera.
Larryleachia is a genus of stapeliad succulent flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae.
Lavrania is a monospecific genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1986. It is native to Namibia.
- Lavrania haagneraePlowes - Namibia
Tridentea is a genus of succulent plant in the family Apocynaceae, endemic to southern Africa.
Artia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1941. The entire group is endemic to New Caledonia in the SW Pacific, including the nearby Loyalty Islands. It is closely related to Parsonsia and Prestonia.
Pseudolithos is a genus of succulent flowering plants of the family Apocynaceae, indigenous to Somalia, Yemen and Oman.
Tavaresia is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1902. It is native to southern Africa.
- Tavaresia angolensisWelw. - Angola
- Tavaresia barklyi(Dyer) N.E.Br. - South Africa
- Tavaresia grandifloraBerger - South Africa
- Tavaresia meintjesiiR.A. Dyer - Limpopo
Echidnopsis is a genus of succulent, cactus-like plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1871. They are native to eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Piaranthus is a succulent plant genus in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, in the family Apocynaceae.
Notechidnopsis is a group of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1985. It contains only one recognized species, Notechidnopsis tessellata, native to Cape Province in South Africa.
Rhytidocaulon is a plant genus in the family Apocynaceae, first described in 1962. It is native to northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
- Rhytidocaulon paradoxumP.R.O.Bally - Ethiopia
- Rhytidocaulon piliferumLavranos - Somalia
- Rhytidocaulon richardianumLavranos - Somalia
- Rhytidocaulon subscandensP.R.O.Bally - Somalia, Ethiopia
- Rhytidocaulon tortum(N.E.Br.) M.G.Gilbert - Arabia
Famatina is a small genus of South American bulbous plants identified by the Chilean botanist Ravenna in 1972. Five species have been described. The exact taxonomic relationship remains uncertain. Phylogenetically they are placed within the Amaryllidoideae tribe Hippeastreae.
Dorotheantheae is a small tribe of annual succulents in the Aizoaceae subfamily Ruschioideae. Though it originally comprised three genera, Cleretum remains as the only recognised genus. Dorotheantheae are endemic to the western and south-western parts of South Africa. The type genus is Dorotheanthus, despite it being no longer recognised.
