| Toad tree | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Habit and the opposite, entire leaves in Limpopo, South Africa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Tabernaemontana |
| Species: | T. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| Tabernaemontana elegans | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Tabernaemontana elegans, the toad tree, [3] is a shrub or small tree in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to eastern Africa.
Tabernaemontana elegans grows up to 15 metres (50 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 30 centimetres (12 in). Its fragrant flowers feature white, creamy or pale yellow corolla lobes. Fruit consists of 2 separate ovoid or ellipsoid pods, up to 8 centimetres (3 in) each.
Tabernaemontana elegans grows in forests or bushland from sea level to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) altitude. The species is native to Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and South Africa. [4] [5] [6]
Tabernaemontana elegans has some local medicinal uses including the treatment of heart disease, cancer, tuberculosis and venereal diseases. The species is also used as an aphrodisiac. [4] The Zulu name for this genus, iNomfi, refers to the use of their sticky, milky latex as bird-lime. [7]
Fourteen indole alkaloids have been isolated in the callus culture of Tabernaemontana elegans (isovoacangine, 3-R/S-hydroxy-isovoacangine, 3-R/S-hydroxy-coronaridine, isositsirikine, geissoschizol, tabernaemontanine, vobasine, vobasinol, apparicine, 16-hydroxy-16,22-dihydro-apparicine, tubotaiwine, 3-R/S-hydroxy-conodurine and monogagaine) of which apparicine is the principal. [8]
Apocynaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Members of the family are native to the European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members. The former family Asclepiadaceae is considered a subfamily of Apocynaceae and contains 348 genera. A list of Apocynaceae genera may be found here.
Tabernaemontana is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. It has a pan-tropical distribution, found in Asia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America, and a wide assortment of oceanic islands. These plants are evergreen shrubs and small trees growing to 1–15 m tall. The leaves are opposite, 3–25 cm long, with milky sap; hence it is one of the diverse plant genera commonly called "milkwood". The flowers are fragrant, white, 1–5 cm in diameter.
Euphorbia ingens is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to dry areas of southern Africa. It is popularly known as the candelabra tree or naboom. Its milky latex can be extremely poisonous and is a dangerous irritant.
Tabernaemontana divaricata, commonly called pinwheel flower, crape jasmine, East India rosebay, and Nero's crown, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to South Asia, Southeast Asia and China. In zones where it is not hardy it is grown as a house/glasshouse plant for its attractive flowers and foliage. The stem exudes a milky latex when broken, whence comes the name milk flower
Strophanthus speciosus, commonly known as the forest poison rope, is a tree, shrub or woody climber which is native to southern Africa.
Hunteria umbellata grows as either a shrub or small tree up to 22 metres (72 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 40 centimetres (16 in). Its flowers feature a white, creamy or pale yellow corolla. The fruit is yellow and smooth. Its habitat is forests from sea level to 600 metres (2,000 ft) altitude. Its numerous local medicinal uses include for fever, leprosy sores, stomach and liver problems and as an anthelmintic, especially against internal worms. Hunteria umbellata has been used as arrow poison. The plant's hard wood is used in carving and to make small tools. The species is native to an area of tropical Africa from Guinea-Bissau in the west to Angola in the south.
Tabernaemontana coffeoides is a species of flowering plant in the Apocynaceae family. It grows as a shrub or small tree up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 20 centimetres (8 in). Its fragrant flowers feature white corolla lobes. Its habitat is on dunes or on rocks in dry forest, bush or savanna from sea level to 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) altitude. Local medicinal uses include for weight loss and to combat fatigue. Tabernaemontana coffeoides is native to Seychelles, the Comoros and Madagascar. It is also rich in pharmacologically interesting indole alkaloids.
Tabernaemontana crassa is a plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, native to tropical Africa.
Tabernaemontana pachysiphon grows as a shrub or small tree up to 15 metres (50 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 40 centimetres (16 in). Its fragrant flowers feature white to pale yellow corolla lobes. The fruit is green, almost spherical, up to 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter. Its habitat is forests from sea level to 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) altitude. Its numerous local medicinal uses include as a styptic, and as a treatment for headache, hypertension and to relieve cramps. The species is native to tropical Africa.
Tabernaemontana ventricosa is a plant in the family Apocynaceae. It grows as a shrub or small tree up to 15 metres (50 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 30 centimetres (12 in) and has white sap. Leaves are paired and crowded near the ends of branches. They are oblong, leathery and a glossy dark green. Flowers are fragrant with white, somewhat twisted lobes, often with a pale yellow center and are set in small clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit is dark green, set in spreading pairs of ellipsoids or oval, beaked pods, up to 10 centimetres (4 in) in diameter. Its habitat is forests from sea level to 1,850 metres (6,000 ft) altitude. In Zimbabwe, it is usually found as part of the understorey of evergreen forests. Local medicinal uses include the treatment of wounds, fever and hypertension. The plant is native to tropical central and southern Africa.
Tabernaemontana stapfiana is a medium-sized tree in the family Apocynaceae. Its flowers feature white with yellow-throated corolla lobes. The fruit is fleshy grey-green, in pairs, each up to 20 centimetres (8 in) in diameter and weighing up to several kilograms. Its habitat is montane evergreen forests from 700–2,000 metres (2,300–6,600 ft) elevation. The plant is native to an area of Africa from Uganda south to Mozambique.
Tabernaemontana macrocarpa grows as a shrub or tree up to 30 metres (100 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 50 centimetres (20 in). The bark is yellowish brown, brown, grey-brown or grey. Its fragrant flowers feature combinations of cream, white and orange corolla lobes. The fruit is orange, with paired follicles, each up to 16 centimetres (6 in) in diameter. The specific epithet macrocarpa is from the Greek meaning "with large fruit". Its habitat is forests from sea level to 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) altitude. Tabernaemontana macrocarpa has been used as arrow poison. The species is native to Thailand and Malesia.
Diplorhynchus is a monotypic genus of plant in the family Apocynaceae native to tropical and southern Africa. As of August 2020, Plants of the World Online recognises the single species Diplorhynchus condylocarpon.
Holarrhena floribunda, commonly known as the false rubber tree, conessi bark or kurchi bark, is a plant in the family Apocynaceae.
Pleiocarpa mutica is a plant in the family Apocynaceae.
Schizozygia is a monotypic genus of plant in the family Apocynaceae found in tropical Africa and the Comoros. As of July 2020, Plants of the World Online recognises the single species Schizozygia coffaeoides.
Alstonia boonei is a very large, deciduous, tropical-forest tree belonging to the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae). It is native to tropical West Africa, with a range extending into Ethiopia and Tanzania. Its common name in the English timber trade is cheese wood, pattern wood or stool wood while its common name in the French timber trade is emien.
Apparicine is a monoterpenoid indole alkaloid. It is named after Apparicio Duarte, a Brazilian botanist who studied the Aspidosperma species from which apparicine was first isolated. It was the first member of the vallesamine group of alkaloids to be isolated and have its structure established, which was first published in 1965. It has also been known by the synonyms gomezine, pericalline, and tabernoschizine.
Tabernaemontanine is a naturally occurring monoterpene indole alkaloid found in several species in the genus Tabernaemontana including Tabernaemontana divaricata.
Vobasine is a naturally occurring monoterpene indole alkaloid found in several species in the genus Tabernaemontana including Tabernaemontana divaricata.
