Asclepiadoideae (asclepiads)

Subfamily: Asclepiadoideae (asclepiads)

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Asterids > Euasterid I > Order: Gentianales > Family: Apocynaceae

This subfamily used to be in a separate family, the Asclepiadaceae. Seventy genera and 669 species are native to southern Africa, an additional two genera and three species are naturalised, and an additional four genera and 28 species are cultivated in the region.

Genera native to southern Africa

List from Victor et al. (2000) and Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI).

Anisotoma Two species, endemic to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape).
Asclepias About 150 species, native to Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and America, with 50 species native to southern Africa, one species naturalised and an additional two species that are naturalised to the region.
Aspidoglossum About 35 species, native to Africa, of which 34 species are native to southern Africa.
Aspidonepsis Five species, endemic to the high altitude mountain grasslands of southern Africa.
Astephanus About 30 species, native to Africa and America, with two species native to southern Africa.
Australluma Two species native to southern Africa.
Baynesia Baynesia lophophora is native to Namibia.
Brachystelma About 100 species, native to Africa and India to Australia, with 97 species native to southern Africa.
Calatropis One species: Caralluma arida, endemic to Namibia.
Caralluma One species: Caralluma arida, endemic to Namibia.
Ceropegia Over 160 species, native to Africa and Madagascar to Australia, with 59 species native to southern Africa and an additional species that is cultivated in the region.
Cordylogyne One species: Cordylogyne globosa, native mainly to moist high grasslands of southern Africa.
Cynanchum About 100 species, found worldwide, with 15 species native to southern Africa.
Duvalia Seventeen species, native to Africa, with 11 species native to southern Africa.
X Duvaliaranthus X Duvaliaranthus albostriatus is an intergeneric hybrid of Duvalia caespitosa and Piaranthus punctatus and is found in the Northern Cape, South Africa.
Emplectanthus Three species, endemic to KwaZulu-Natal.
Eustegia About eight species, with five species native to southern Africa.
Fanninia One species: Fanninia caloglossa, endemic to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
Fockea Six species, native to tropical Africa and southern Africa, with all species occurring southern Africa.
Glossostelma Four species native to southern Africa.
Gomphocarpus About 50 species, native to Africa and Asia, with 12 species native to southern Africa.
Hoodia Thirteen species, native to Africa, nearly all of which (12) are native to southern Africa. Hoodia plants are eaten by Khoisan people as appetite-suppressants. The substance causing the reduction in appetite has been extracted and been coded P57.
X Hoodiapelia X Hoodiapelia beukmanii (= Luckhoffia beukmanii) is evidently the result of hybridisation of Hoodia gordonii x Stapelia arenosa.
X Hoodiopsis X Hoodiopsis triebneri is evidently the result of the hybridisation of Hoodia gordonii and Orbea lutea ssp. vaga.
Huernia About 64 species, native to Africa and Arabian Peninsula, with 40 species native to southern Africa.
Ischnolepis One species native to southern Africa - Ischnolepis natalensis.
Kanahia One species, Kanahia laniflora, native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (see Flora of Zimbabwe). Kanahia consimilis, Kanahia delilei, Kanahia glaberrima and Kanahia monroi have all been synonymised under Kanahia laniflora.
Larryleachia Eight species, endemic to Namibia and the Northern Cape (South Africa). Species in this genus were previously in the genus Lavrania.
Lavrania One species, Lavrania haagnerae, endemic to Namibia. A number of other species once placed in this genus, have been transferred to the genus Larryleachia.
Margaretta One species, occurring in tropical Africa (including Zimbabwe and Mozambique): Margaretta rosea. See Flora of Zimbabwe.
Marsdenia Over 300 species, widely distributed, with six species native to southern Africa.
Microloma Ten species, endemic to southern Africa.
Miraglossum Seven species, endemic to the eastern parts of southern Africa.
Neoschumannia Two species, both native to tropical Africa, with one Neoschumannia cardinea native to southern Africa (Zimbabwe). See Flora of Zimbabwe.
Notechidnopsis One species: Notechidnopsis tessellata, endemic to Namaqualand (Northern and Western Cape).
Oncinema One species: Oncinema lineare, endemic to the Western and Eastern Cape.
Ophionella Two species: Ophionella arcuata (Eastern Cape: Willowmore to Addo), and Ophionella willowmorensis (Eastern Cape).
Orbea About 31 species, with 30 species native to southern Africa.
Orthanthera Four species, native to Africa and India, with two species native to southern Africa.
Pachycarpus About 30 species, native to Africa, with 26 species native to southern Africa, occurring in high altitude grasslands.
Parapodium Three species, endemic to southern Africa.
Pectinaria Three species, endemic to the Northern and Western Cape, South Africa.
Pentarrhinum Three species, native to Africa, with two species native to southern Africa.
Pergularia Five species, native from Africa to India, and Madagascar. Pergularia daemia (Dhraeba) is the only species native to southern Africa. See Flora of Zimbabwe, where it is split into two subspecies - P. d. daemia and P. d. barbata.
Periglossum Two species, both native to southern Africa.
Piaranthus Seven species, all native to southern Africa.
Quaqua Twenty species, all native to southern Africa.
Rhyssolobium One species: Rhyssolobium dumosum, endemic to the very arid coastal regions of Namibia and the Northern Cape, where fog occurs.
Richtersveldia One species: Richtersveldia columnaris, endemic to the Western Cape.
Riocreuxia The 10 species are all native to Africa except for one that occurs in India. Eight species are native to southern Africa.
Sarcostemma Ten species, native to arid regions of the Old World, with two species native to southern Africa.
Schizoglossum About 80 species, native to Africa, with 23 species native to southern Africa (mainly grasslands).
Richtersveldia One species: Richtersveldia columnaris, endemic to the Western Cape.
Secamone About 100 species, native to warm regions of the Old World, with six species native to southern Africa.
Sisyranthus Thirteen species, native to tropical and southern Africa, with 13 species native to southern Africa (found in grasslands).
Sphaerocodon Three species, both native to southern Africa.
Stapelia Forty-three species, native to Africa, with 34 species native to southern Africa.
Stapeliopsis Seven species, endemic to southern Africa.
Stathmostelma Thirteen species, native to eastern tropical Africa, three of which are native to southern Africa.
Stenostelma Three species, endemic to southern Africa.
Stigmatorhynchus Three species, native to Africa, one of which, Stigmatorhynchus hereroensis, is native to southern Africa (Namibia).
Tavaresia Two species, Tavaresia barklyi (see Flora of Zimbabwe) and Tavaresia meintjesii, both of which are native to southern Africa.
Telosma Ten species, native from Africa to Malaya, one of which, Telosma africana, is native to southern Africa.
Trachycalymma One species native to southern Africa - Trachycalymma pulchellum (recorded from Zimbabwe).
Trichocaulon One species native to southern Africa - Trichocaulon sociarum.
Tridentea Eight species, endemic to southern Africa.
Tromotriche Nine species, endemic to the winter rainfall region of southern Africa, extending from south west Namibia round to the Eastern Cape.
Tylophora Fifty species, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World, with nine species native to southern Africa and an additional species that is cultivated in the region.
Woodia Three species, endemic to southern Africa.
Xysmalobium About 40 species, native to Africa, with 26 species native to southern Africa.

Genera naturalised in southern Africa

List from Victor et al. (2000) and Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI).

Araujia

The five species are all climbers and are native to South America. Araujia sericifera (Moth catcher, Cruel plant) has become naturalised in southern Africa and is a declared Category 1 invasive plant in South Africa.

Calotropis

Three species, native to tropical and subtropical Africa, and Asia. One species, Calotropis procera, has become naturalised in southern Africa.

Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002).

Oxypetalum caeruleum Native to Argentina.
Stephanotis floribunda (Madagascar jasmine) Native to Madagascar.
Dischidia About 80 species of epiphytes, native to tropical regions of China, India and Indo-China. Five species are cultivated in southern Africa.
Hoya About 200-300 species of tropical climbing plants, native to southern Asia, Australia and Polynesia. Sixteen species are cultivated in southern Africa.

Publications

Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
Victor, J.E., Bredenkamp, C.L., Venter, H.J.T., Bruyns, P.V. & Nicholas, A. 2000. Apocynaceae. In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 71-98.. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
Albers, F., Delfs, W., Kusch, G. & Meve, U. 1989. Lebensformen der Ceropegieae und Stapelieae (Asclepiadaceae) in ariden Zonen Afrikas. Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen 64: 59–74.
Albers, F., Liede, S. & Meve, U. 1993. Deviating chromosome numbers in Asclepiadaceae. Nordic Journal of Botany 13: 37–39.
Albers, F. & Meve, U. 1991. Mixoploidy and cytotypes. A study of possible vegetative species differentiation in stapeliads (Asclepiadaceae). Bothalia 21: 67–72.
Albers, F. & Meve, U. 1997. Asclepiadaceae (incl. Annex 2: Asclepiadaceae of conservation concern). In: S. Oldfield (comp.), Cactus and succulent plants—status survey and conservation action plan: 14–17, 159–163. IUCN/SSC Cactus and Succulent Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
Bruyns, P.V. 1976. A new putative intergeneric Stapeliad hybrid. Journal of South African Botany 42: 365–367.
Bruyns, P.V. 1995. New records and new species of Asclepiadaceae from Namibia. Bothalia 25: 155–172.
Bruyns, P.V. & Forster, P.I. 1991. Recircumscription of the Stapelieae. Taxon 40: 381–391.
Liede, S. 1996. Anther differentiation in the Asclepiadaceae: form and function. In: W. D’Arcy & R.C. Keating (eds), The anther: form, function and phylogeny: 221–235. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Liede, S. 1997. Subtribes and genera of the tribe Asclepideae (Apocynaceae–Asclepiadoideae)—a synopsis. Taxon 46: 233–247.
Liede, S. & Albers, F. 1994. Tribal disposition of Asclepiadaceae genera. Taxon 43: 201–231.
Liede, S. & Kunze, H. 1993. A descriptive system for corona analysis in Asclepiadaceae and Periplocaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution 185: 275–284.
Liede, S. & Weberling, F. 1995. Inflorescence structure in Asclepiadaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution 197: 99–109.
Meve, U., Albers, F. & Kusch, G. 1990. The outer epidermal wall structure of African Stapelieae (Asclepiadaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 9: 519–523.
Meve, U. & Liede, S. 1994. Pollination in stapeliads— new results and a literature review. Plant Systematics and Evolution 192: 99–116. Meve, U. & Liede, S. 1996. A new species from Ethiopia and an interesting disjunction in African Tylophora (Asclepiadaceae). Edinburgh Journal of Botany 53: 323–329.
Nicholas, A. 1990. Why has generic delimitation in parts of the family Asclepiadaceae been a contentious and perennial problem? Asklepios 49: 76–77.
Nicholas, A. 1992. The asclepiadaceous works of Rudolf. E. Schlechter. Willdenowia 22: 215–264.
Ollerton, J. & Liede, S. 1997. The evolution of pollination systems in the Asclepiadaceae: a survey and preliminary analysis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 62: 593–610.