Friday 11 May 2012

Apocynaceae


The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas. Members of the family are native to Europen, Asian, African, Australian and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members.

Many species are tall trees found in tropical rainforests, but some grow in tropical dry, xeric environments. There are also perennial herbs from temperate zones. Many of these plants have milky sap; and many species are poisonous if ingested. Some genera of Apocynaceae, such as Adenium however, have either clear and milky, latex sap, and others, such as Pachypodium, always have clear sap.