APOCYNACEAE - DOGBANE FAMILY
Scientific Description:
Perennial herbs, shrubs or small trees, usually with latex. Leaves usually opposite, less often whorled or alternate, simple, entire, exstipulate. Flowers solitary and axillary or in cymes sometimes forming panicles, regular, 5-merous. Calyx 5-lobed almost to base, persistent. Corolla campanulate, infundibular or hypocrateriform, with 5 oblique lobes twisted and imbricate in bud. Stamens 5, inserted on corolla tube. Ovary with 2 carpels free or connate below, united above into a single common style with a large variously shaped stigma head (clavuncle). Fruit separating into 2 follicles, sometimes 1-follicled by abortion.
Reference:
Davis PH (1978). Apocynaceae, In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 6: 158.
Public Description:
The “dogbane family” contains trees, shrubs, woody vines and perennial herbs in tropical regions. Most exude a milky sap with latex, if injured. They contains natural toxic substances which are sometimes poisonous, even lethal. Some members include cardiac glycosides, and the ingestion of these plant parts can cause death by affecting cardiac function. Several genera are preferred larval host plants for the queen butterfly. Several genera are grown as ornamental plants because of the beautiful flowers.
References:
Anonymous 1 (2015). http://www.britannica.com/plant/Apocynaceae/, Accessed date: 21.12.2015.
Anonymous 2 (2015). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocynaceae/, Accessed date: 21.12.2015.
