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Accession Data:

Acokanthera oppositifolia (Lam.) Codd

  • Common Name: Bushman's Poison
  • Family: Apocynaceae Juss.

  • Country of Origin: Kenya to S. Africa
  • Habitat: forest margins woodland and bush clumps

Accession Data:

  • Accession # 201500195
  • Source: Rob Nicholson - Smith College
  • Provenance:
    • Smith# 382-14 ex NYBG
  • Accession Date: 12-21-2015
  • Bench: 1116 - AFR:Ground Bed 2 SE
    • Currently: active - healthy
    • Qty: 2 confirmed on 02-26-2025
  • Restrictions:
    • Poisonous Plant Parts - Not for Human Consumption
      All plants of the genus Acokanthera contain toxic cardiac glycosides and may cause serious illness or death. If ingested, immediately call the Poison Control Center.

Classification:

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

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015

References (internal):

  • Type Species
  • EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Zaire / Kenya / Tanzania / Malawi / Mozambique / Zambia / Zimbabwe / Cape Provinces / KwaZulu-Natal / Swaziland / Northern Provinces

References (external):

  1. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Monday, December 21, 2015.
  2. WCSP (2015). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Monday, December 21, 2015.
  3. Acokanthera oppositifolia at PlantzAfrica. Last accessed on Monday, December 21, 2015.
  4. Wikipedia. Last accessed on Wednesday, 16 October, 2019.

data regenerated on Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:27:39 -0400 [bcm v4.0]

Images:

Acokanthera oppositifolia

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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