Alafia scandens
| Alafia scandens | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Subfamily: | Apocynoideae |
| Tribe: | Malouetieae |
| Genus: | Alafia |
| Species: | A. scandens |
| Binomial name | |
| Alafia scandens (Thonn.) De Wild. | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Alafia scandens grows as a liana up to 20 metres (66 ft) long, with a stem diameter of up to 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in). Its fragrant flowers feature a white corolla, dark red at the throat. Fruit is dark brown with paired cylindrical follicles, each up to 45 centimetres (18 in) in diameter. Habitat is forest and savanna, from sea-level to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) altitude. Local medicinal uses include as a treatment for rheumatism. The plant has been used as arrow poison.[2] A. scandens is native to Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo.[3]
References
- ↑ "Alafia scandens". The Plant List. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
- ↑ Medicinal Plants. PROTA. 2008. p. 52. ISBN 978-9-05782-204-9.
- ↑ Search for "Alafia scandens", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 12 August 2013