You are here
Magnoliopsida
Allamanda cathartica L.
EOL Text
Allamanda cathartica L., Mant. 214. 1771.
Shrub or woody vine, clambering or sometimes twining, much branched, 2-8 m in length, with abundant milky latex. Stems grayish, cylindrical, glabrous or puberulous. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4; blades 8-13 × 1.5-3.5 cm, oblong, elliptical or oblanceolate, coriaceous, the apex acuminate, the base acute, the margins undulate and revolute; upper surface glabrous, dark green, shiny, with a prominent midvein; lower surface yellowish green, with the midvein thickened, prominent, and puberulous; petioles 5-10 mm long; stipules transformed into 4 small intrapetiolar glands. Flowers in axillary cymes, few-flowered. Calyx greenish, of 5 lanceolate sepals, 12-18 mm long; corolla infundibuliform, yellow, the tube 7-9 cm long, the limb ca. 8 cm in diameter, with five rounded, revolute lobes. Capsules ellipsoid, with numerous spines on the outside, infrequent; seeds numerous, oval, compressed, 1.2-1.5 cm long, with a discolorous, wing-like margin.
Phenology: Flowering throughout the year and fruiting from April to May.
Status: Exotic, naturalized in Puerto Rico.
Selected Specimens Examined: Acevedo-Rdgz., P. 9338; Britton, N.L. 1555; Fisher, M.J. 4; Goll, G.P. 389; 965; Sargent, F.H. 748; 3010; Shafer, J.A. 3013; Sintenis, P. 832; 2499; Stevenson, J.A. 1271.
Allamanda hendersonii Bulliard ex Dombrain; A. cathartica var. hendersonii (Bulliard ex Dombrain) L. H. Bailey & Raffill.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=210000031 |
Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan [native to South America]
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=210000031 |
Fl. Per.: May-August.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | eFloras.org Copyright © Missouri Botanical Garden |
Source | http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=210000031 |
An antineoplasmic (antileukemic) iridoid lactone, named allamandine, is present. Flower contains allamandoside, a fungitoxic glycoside. Extract of plant is antibiotic against Staphylococcus. Root contains isoplumerin, an antifungal sesquiterpenoid. Plant also contains plumericin, isoplumericin, plumieride, flavoplumierin, isoplumierin, beta-sitosterol, allamandin, quercetin. The toxic iridoids plumericin and isoplumericin have been isolated from Surinam material of this species.
Shrub or liana climbing to 17 m. Leaves in whorls of 3-4, sometimes opposite; petiole short; lamina oblanceolate to elliptic, ± glabrous except on the veins beneath; margin wavy; apex acuminate. Corolla bright yellow, marked with white in the throat, the lobes rounded. Capsule 3-4 cm in diameter, spiny.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
Source | http://www.mozambiqueflora.com/cult/species.php?species_id=184710 |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 2
Species With Barcodes: 1
Native to northern S America; widespread in cultivation in warm regions of the world
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings, Flora of Zimbabwe |
Source | http://www.mozambiqueflora.com/cult/species.php?species_id=184710 |
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Allamanda+cathartica |