Plant Family Apocynaceae

Apocynaceae Description Distribution A family of 300 genera and nearly 2000 species distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres, represented in Pakistan by 6 native genera (with 6 species) and 13 cultivated genera (with 20 species). Detailed DescriptionTrees, shrubs or twiners, sometimes herbs, with milky juice. Leaves opposite or whorled, rarely alternate or spiral, simple, entire, sometimes glandular on the entire midrib or at the base of the .midrib, stipulate or exstipulate. Inflorescence axillary or of terminal dichasial cymes or racemes. Flowers bisexual, regular, bracteate or apparently ebracteate. Calyx- (4-)  5 lobed, sometimes polysepalous, lobes equal or unequal, imbricate, often glandular inside at the base, corolla (4-) 5 lobed, hypogynous, rotate, salver-form or campanulate, valvate or twisted in bud; sometimes corona appendages present; stamens (4-) 5, usually inserted on the base of corolla tube, included or exserted; filament very short or absent; anther occasionally connivent with stigma; pollen sometimes in tetrads. Pistil one, basically composed of 2 carpels-free or syncarpous, terminating into single stigma, superior or subinferior, mostly unilocular or bilocular with parietal placentation, rarely bilocular with axile placentation, ovules one to many; style simple or divided at base, stigma large and of various types, mostly umbraculiform below and capitate or pentagonal above. Fruit a fleshy or dry drupe, berry, samara or follicles. Seeds 1 to many, pubescent, winged or apically comose. Identification Key . Corona present 2. Leaves spiral or alternate; anthers included 2. Leaves whorled or opposite; anthers ± exserted 3. Corona petaloid Nerium 3. Corona scale-like Wrightia 1. Corona absent 4. Anthers connivent with stigma 5. Erect perennial herb or under-shrub; stigma 2-lobed, columnar or sub-globose Trachomitum 5. Erect or climbing shrub or tree; stigma not 2-lobed, columnar or fusiform 6. Flowers in various types of racemes Vallaris 6. Flowers in terminal axillary cymes 7. Corolla campanulate or funnel-shaped; stigma fusiform Beaumontia 7. Corolla rotate or salver-form; stigma columnar 8. Corolla lobes deflexed; tube inflated in the centre; seeds beaked. (wild) Ichnocarpus 8. Corolla lobes obliquely truncate; tube inflated at the top; seeds not beaked.(cultivated) Trachelospermum 4. Anthers not connivent with stigma 9. Fruit a berry-like drupe 10. Disc present Rauvolfia 10. Disc absent 11. Calyx 5-lobed; stigma fusiform or columnar Carissa 11. Calyx polysepalous; stigma 2-lobed, pointed Acokanthera 9. Fruit a follicle, or capsule 12. Herb or under-shrub 13. Corolla salverform; flowers 1-3 in the leaf axils Catharanthus 13. Corolla infundibuliform; flower 1 in the leaf axils Vinca 12. Tree or large shrub 14. Seed winged 15. Calyx glandular outside, eglandular inside Plumeria 15. Calyx eglandular on both sides 16. Corolla salverform. Fruit a follicle (Plants wild.) Rhazya 16. Corolla campanulate or funnel-shaped. Fruit a capsule. (Plants cultivated) Allamanda 14. Seed not winged 17. Leaves whorled; calyx eglandular inside Alstonia 17. Leaves opposite; calyx glandular inside 18. Stamen inserted near the base of the tube; corolla throat contracted Holarrhena 18. Stamen inserted at or above the middle of the tube; corolla throat not contracted, inflated in the middle or top

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