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Accession Data:

Strophanthus preussii Engl. & Pax.

  • Common Name: Poison Arrow Flower
  • Family: Apocynaceae Juss.

  • Country of Origin: W. Trop. Africa to Tanzania and Angola
  • Habitat: forested areas from sea level to 1400m

  • Description: Climbing shrub, to 12 feet or more; leaves elliptic to ovate), and broadly tapering to each end; wider than oblanceolate.">obovate or ovate, to 5 inches long, bluntly short-acuminate, truncate to cuneate, glabrous; flowers fragrant, sepals foliaceous, corolla white but darkening to dull lemon-yellow, strongly marked with yellow and purple in throat, tube about 5/8 inches long, basal cylindrical part purplish, as long as campanulate part, lobes very long-caudate, to 12 inches long, tails maroon, appendages in sunuses very short, obtuse, golden with purplish tips; follicles lanceolate, to 10 inches long.

    Cultivation: Frost-tender plants prefer a partly shaded position and fertile, humus-rich but well drained soil. Propagate from softwood cuttings or seeds.

  • Uses: Medicinal uses of S. preussii include treatment of gonorrhoea and healing of sores.4. This species does not contain the cardiac glycosides found in S. gratus however.5

    Stem fibers are used for fishing lines, nets & ropes.5

    • IMPORTANT NOTE: Plant Uses are for informational purposes only. EEB Greenhouses assume no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plants referred to on this site. Always seek advice from a professional before using any plant medicinally.
  • USDA Zone: 10a-11

Accession Data:

  • Accession # 198500461
  • Source: SCE/ Logee's
  • Recorded Vouchers:
    1. Voucher 128495 at George Safford Torrey Herbarium (CONN). Specimen collected 21 April 2004. Herbarium Image
    2. Voucher 149847 at George Safford Torrey Herbarium (CONN). Specimen collected 17 May 1985. Herbarium Image
  • Accession Date: 12-31-1985
  • Bench: 1104 - AFR:North Bench W
    • Currently: active - healthy
    • Qty: 1 confirmed on 02-26-2025
  • Restrictions:
    • Poisonous Plant Parts - Not for Human Consumption

Classification:

  • Division: Magnoliophyta
  • Class: Magnoliopsida
  • SubClass: euasterid I
  • Order: Gentianales
  • SubOrder:
  • Family: Apocynaceae
  • SubFamily: Apocynoideae
  • Tribe: Nerieae
  • SubTribe:

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003

References (internal):

  • Medicinal Plants
  • Plants with Vouchers deposited in CONN
  • EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Benin / Ghana / Guinea / Ivory Coast / Liberia / Nigeria / Sierra Leone / Togo / Cabinda / Central African Republic / Cameroon / Congo / Gabon / Gulf of Guinea Is. / Zaire / Tanzania / Uganda / Angola

References (external):

  1. Hortus Third, LH Bailey Hortorium, 1976
  2. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed Tuesday, 13 November, 2018.
  3. WCSP (2015). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed Tuesday, 13 November, 2018.
  4. Strophanthus preussii at Wikipedia. Last accessed Tuesday, 13 November, 2018.
  5. Strophanthus preussii at Useful Tropical Plants. Last accessed Tuesday, 13 November, 2018.
  6. Image #00 (cropped) & #03 (original) by Mokkie [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons. Last accessed Tuesday, 13 November, 2018.

data regenerated on Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:27:09 -0400 [bcm v4.0]

Images:

Strophanthus preussii

Additional images for this accession:

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Current Accessions in the Apocynaceae

Subfamily Apocynoideae
Tribe Apocyneae

  • Beaumontia grandiflora
  • Trachelospermum jasminoides

Subfamily Apocynoideae
Tribe Malouetieae

  • Pachypodium horombense
  • Pachypodium lamerei
  • Pachypodium namaquanum
  • Pachypodium rosulatum

Subfamily Apocynoideae
Tribe Mesechiteae

  • Mandevilla sp.

Subfamily Apocynoideae
Tribe Nerieae

  • Adenium obesum
  • Adenium socotranum
  • Nerium oleander
  • Strophanthus gratus
  • Strophanthus preussii

Subfamily Apocynoideae
Tribe Wrightieae

  • Wrightia sp.

Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
Tribe Asclepiadeae

  • Asclepiadinae: Asclepias curassavica
  • Asclepiadinae: Asclepias tuberosa
  • Asclepiadinae: Gomphocarpus fruticosus
  • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum grandidieri W/C
  • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum marnierianum
  • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum pachycladon
  • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum sp.
  • Cynanchinae: Cynanchum verrucosum

Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
Tribe Ceropegieae

  • Stapelieae: Caralluma hesperidum
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia albisepta W/C
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia ampliata
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia ampliata
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia aristolochioides
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia cimiciodora
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia fusca
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia x rothii
  • Stapeliinae: Ceropegia stapeliiformis
  • Stapeliinae: Edithcolea grandis
  • Stapeliinae: Hoodia gordonii
  • Stapeliinae: Huernia piersii
  • Stapeliinae: Huernia plowesii
  • Stapeliinae: Huernia thureti var. thureti
  • Stapeliinae: Huernia zebrina
  • Stapeliinae: Larryleachia cactiformis
  • Stapeliinae: Stapelia flavopurpurea
  • Stapeliinae: Stapelia gigantea
  • Stapeliinae: Stapelia grandiflora
  • Stapeliinae: Stapelianthus madagascariensis

Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
Tribe Fockeeae

  • Fockea edulis

Subfamily Asclepiadoideae
Tribe Marsdenieae

  • Dischidia albiflora
  • Dischidia bengalensis
  • Dischidia litoralis
  • Dischidia major
  • Dischidia ovata
  • Dischidia platyphylla
  • Dischidia ruscifolia
  • Hoya australis ssp. australis
  • Hoya carnosa
  • Hoya carnosa x serpens
  • Hoya curtisii
  • Hoya imbricata
  • Hoya imbricata
  • Hoya macgillivrayi
  • Hoya macrophylla
  • Hoya obovata
  • Hoya pubicalyx
  • Hoya retusa
  • Marsdenia floribunda

Subfamily Periplocoideae
Tribe Cryptolepideae

  • Cryptostegia grandiflora

Subfamily Periplocoideae
Tribe Periploceae

  • Periploca laevigata W/C

Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
Tribe Alyxieae

  • Alyxia ruscifolia

Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
Tribe Carisseae

  • Acokanthera oppositifolia
  • Carissa macrocarpa

Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
Tribe Plumerieae

  • Allamanda cathartica
  • Allamanda schottii
  • Cascabela thevetia
  • Plumeria rubra

Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
Tribe Tabernaemontaneae

  • Tabernaemontaninae: Tabernaemontana divaricata
  • Tabernaemontaninae: Tabernaemontana elegans

Subfamily Rauvolfioideae
Tribe Vinceae

  • Catharanthus roseus
  • Rauvolfia serpentina
  • Ochrosiinae: Ochrosia elliptica
W/C = Wild Collected
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days
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