| Strophanthus preussii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Strophanthus |
| Species: | S. preussii |
| Binomial name | |
| Strophanthus preussii | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Strophanthus preussii, the Preuss' strophanthus, [3] is a plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae.
Strophanthus preussii grows as an evergreen liana up to 12 m (40 ft) long or a shrub up to 5 m (16 ft) tall, with a stem diameter up to 2.5 cm (1 in). Its fragrant flowers feature a white to orange corolla, red-striped or spotted on the inside. The corollas have very long tails up to 30 cm (12 in) long. [4] Other vernacular names for the plant include "spider tresses" and "poison arrow vine". [5]
Strophanthus preussii is native to a wide area of tropical Africa, from Guinea in the west, east to Tanzania and south to Angola. [1] Its habitat is forested areas from sea level to 1,400 m (4,600 ft) altitude. [5]
Strophanthus preussii has been assessed as least concern on the IUCN Red List. The species is broadly distributed and is not currently facing any major threats. [1]
Traditional medicinal uses of Strophanthus preussii include treatment of gonorrhoea and healing of sores. The plant has also been used as arrow poison. [5]
