PLANTAE / PHANEROGAMAE / ANTHOPHYTA / GENTIANALES / APOCYNACEAE / APOCYNOIDEAE / NERIEAE / STROPHANTHUS / KOMBE
Shrub or woody climber; stems hispid-tomentose when young, becoming glabrescent and scabrid with age; bark grey or black, dotted with lenticels; Leaves subsessile, elliptic to broadly elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 8-16 cm long and 4.5-10 cm broad, obtuse at the base, apex rounded to abruptly acute or apiculate, densely hispid-tomentose when young, glabrescent and scabrid above when mature, drying dark brownish above, paler below; secondary nerves 7-10 on each side, oblique, distinct below; petiole 0-5 mm long, channelled above; axillary glands present. Inflorescence cymose, compact, 1-several-flowered, terminal on short branches, appearing together with or before the leaves, hispid; peduncles short; bracts narrowly lanceolate, 6 mm long; pedicels slender, 7-10 mm long. Flowers cream to yellowish with red or purple markings, scented. Calyx hispid-tomentose, 10-14 mm long; sepals linear-lanceolate. Corolla pubescent without; tube narrowly cylindric at the base for 7-9 mm then campanulate-infundibuliform for 7-10 mm; lobes produced into long, slender, pendulous appendages, 6-12 cm long; throat scales very short, densely papillose. Stamens included, subsessile; anthers lanceolate, acuminate, sagittate, 4-5 mm long, polliniferous in the upper half, shortly apiculate. Ovary of 2 free carpels, densely tomentose; style filiform, 10-12 mm long; stigma enclosed by the anthers, capitate, with a reflexed frill at the base. Fruit of 2 follicular mericarps eventually spreading at 180°; follicles 20-40 cm long and 2-3.5 cm broad at the base, tapering gradually to 5-8 mm and then abruptly expanding to 10-14 mm at the apex, brown, glabrous, longitudinally striate and markedly lenticellate. Seeds lanceolate-oblong, 14-16 mm long, tomentose, light brown; awn plumose, 10-15 cm long, with a naked stalk 3-4 cm long; cotyledons oblong; endosperm scanty. From: Codd, LEW. 1963. Apocynaceae. Fl. S. Africa 26: 244-296. Dept. Agric. and Technical Services, Pretoria. [CC BY]
Shrub or woody climber. Leaves hispid-tomentose, large, usually broader than 45 mm. Cylindrical basal part of corolla tube ± as long as upper, campanulate to funnel-shaped part. Flowers cream to yellowish with red or purple markings. From: Retief, E; Herman, PPJ. 1997. Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: Keys and diagnostic characters. Strelitzia 6: 1-681. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]
On rocky situations and in wooded ravines, S. kombe can form a strong climber up to 7 m tall but, on the deep sand adjoining Portuguese East Africa, it grows as a low shrub 1-5 m high. It is known as the main constituent of an arrow poison and the specific epithet is derived from a native vernacular name for it. S. kombe is closely allied to S. hispidus A.DC. but differs from the latter in the more compact inflorescence produced on very abbreviated shoots, the narrow, not foliaceous, bracts and the slightly longer corolla tube. S. hispidus occurs in west tropical Africa as far south as the Congo. The pods of the two species appear to be more or less identical. From: Codd, LEW. 1963. Apocynaceae. Fl. S. Africa 26: 244-296. Dept. Agric. and Technical Services, Pretoria. [CC BY]
Found in dry, lowveld woodland, often on rocky situations. From: Codd, LEW. 1963. Apocynaceae. Fl. S. Africa 26: 244-296. Dept. Agric. and Technical Services, Pretoria. [CC BY]
Dry lowveld woodland, often on rocky situations. From: Retief, E; Herman, PPJ. 1997. Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: Keys and diagnostic characters. Strelitzia 6: 1-681. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. [CC BY]
In north-eastern Transvaal, extending into Mozambique and the Rhodesias to Tanganyika. From: Codd, LEW. 1963. Apocynaceae. Fl. S. Africa 26: 244-296. Dept. Agric. and Technical Services, Pretoria. [CC BY]
October
0 to 1200 m
This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations
Occurrence in the Flora of Southern Africa (FSA) countries and South African provinces. Residence status indicates if a taxon is indigenous, endemic, naturalised or invasive in a specific region. This data is based on specimen records and literature
FSA
SA
BOT
NAM
ESW
LES
WC
EC
NC
FS
GA
KZN
LP
MP
NW
Absent
Indigenous
Endemic
Naturalised
Invasive
Names and Sources
| Common name | Language | Reference/barcode | Published as |
|---|---|---|---|
| grootblaargiftou | Afrikaans | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| kombe poisonrope | English | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| kombe strophanthus | English | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| kombe tailflower | English | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| kombegiftou | Afrikaans | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| large-leaved poisonrope | English | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| ntsulu | Tsonga | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| tailflower | English | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. | |
| zambezi tail flower | English | Drummond, RB; Plowes, DCH. 1976. Wild Flowers of Rhodesia. Longman, Rhodesia. | |
| Zambezi tailflower | English | Van Wyk, AE; Van den Berg, E; Coates Palgrave, M; Jordaan, M. 2011. Dictionary of names for southern African trees. Briza, Arcadia. |
Classification
KINGDOM Plantae
SUBKINGDOM Phanerogamae
PHYLUM Anthophyta
ORDER Gentianales
FAMILY Apocynaceae
SUBFAMILY Apocynoideae
TRIBE Nerieae
GENUS Strophanthus
SPECIES kombe
49 results for Strophanthus kombe Oliv.
Barcode: PRE0729901-0 Collector(s) & number: Venter, S, 12279 | 1986-11-24
South Africa, Limpopo, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK; PAFURI; NWAMBIYA SANDVELD. MATLAGUZA PAN. FULL SUNSLOPE 0 - 5 DEG.
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: NH0101556-0 Collector(s) & number: Adamson, H, s.n. | 1984-1-9
South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, Durban Botanic Gardens. Above carpark, close to hedge halfway to Edith Benson Crescent along Sydenham road.
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: PRE0719486-0 Collector(s) & number: Adamson, H, s.n. | 1984-1-9
South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal, DURBAN; DURBAN BOT. GARDEN; ABOVE CAR PARK CLOSE TO HEDGE HALFWAY TO EDITH BENSON CRESCENT ALONG SYDENHAM ROA
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: PRE0755507-0 Collector(s) & number: Curtis, BA, 1435 | 2001-11-9
Namibia,
General notes: Climber with rough, dark chocolate brown stems with long white lenticels. Leaves opposite, decussate thick, crinckled, discolorous, very hairy below. Hairs wiry. Flowers cream white with pink and yellow throat. Pods large like cow's horns.
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: PRE0561497-0 Collector(s) & number: Glen, HF, 4042 | 2001-11-3
Zimbabwe, Harare: Alexandra Park: Zimbabwe National Botanical Garden: Save-Limpopo Valley section.
General notes: CULTIVATED. Sporadic in lowveld bush throughout southern and eastern Africa. Voucher for Flowering Plants of Africa plate.
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: PRE0343098-0 Collector(s) & number: Codd, LEW, 5970 | 1950-4-19
South Africa, Limpopo, ZOUTPANSBERG DIST.; KRUGER NAT. PARK; PUNDA MARIA
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: PRE0343101-0 Collector(s) & number: Ramont, PRE 27987 | 1945-12-
South Africa, Limpopo, ZOUTPANSBERG DIST. Punda Maria.
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: PRE0343100-0 Collector(s) & number: Van der Schijff, HP, 2938 | 1953-4-30
South Africa, Limpopo, KRUGER NAT. PARK; KLAPPERFONTEIN; S. O. VAN KLAPPERFONTEIN OP PORTUGESE GRENS
Data Resource: BODATSA View record
Barcode: BNRH0004465 | Collector(s) & number: Olivier Maurin, Michelle van der Bank, Herman van der Bank, Roby Bryden, Vincent Savolainen, Renier Myburgh, Lauren Hayne, Arno Vandenberg , Unkown | 2006-01-28
South Africa , Limpopo
Data Resource: University of Johannesburg, Department of Botany and Plant Biotechnology View record
This map contains point-based occurrences at different locations
2002
FLORA
Apocynaceae Part I Omino, EAFlora of Tropical East Africa Apocynaceae(1)1-109
A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam
1997
BOOK
Énumération des Plantes à Fleurs d'Afrique Tropicale, Vol. 4 Lebrun, J-P; Stork, ALJardin Botanique, Geneva
1997
SERIES
Plants of the northern provinces of South Africa: Keys and diagnostic characters Retief, E; Herman, PPJStrelitzia 6: 1-681
National Botanical Institute, Pretoria
1994
BOOK
African ethnobotany : poisons and drugs : chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology Neuwinger, HD1985
FLORA
111. Apocynaceae: 22. Strophanthus DC. Beentje, HJFlora Zambesiaca 7(2)468-480
Flora Zambesiaca Managing Committee, London
1976
1963
FLORA
Apocynaceae Codd, LEWFlora of Southern Africa 26: 244-296
Dept. Agric. and Technical Services, Pretoria
1949
No results found for Strophanthus kombe Oliv.
Status and criteria
NE
Assessor(s)
Plantae Coordinator
| Part(s) of plant used | Use(s) | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Roots | Bronchitis | Watt, JM; Breyer-Brandwijk, MG. 1962. The medicinal and poisonous plants of southern and eastern Africa: Being an account of their medicinal and other uses, chemical composition, pharmachological effects and toxicology in man and animal, 2nd ed. Livingstone, Edinburgh. [All rights reserved] |
| Unspecified | Medicinally | Watt, JM; Breyer-Brandwijk, MG. 1962. The medicinal and poisonous plants of southern and eastern Africa: Being an account of their medicinal and other uses, chemical composition, pharmachological effects and toxicology in man and animal, 2nd ed. Livingstone, Edinburgh. [All rights reserved] |
| Roots | Bronchitis | Githens, TS. 1948. Drug plants of Africa, Vol. 8. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. [All rights reserved] |
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