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Apocynaceae facts for kids

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Apocynaceae
Grote maagdenpalm 23-04-2005 10.19.28.JPG
Vinca major
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
Division:
Magnoliophyta
Class:
Magnoliopsida
Order:
Gentianales
Family:
Apocynaceae
Genera

See text.

The Apocynaceae or dogbane family is a family of flowering plants in the order Gentianales, that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas. Are usually with milky sap comprising about 200 genera and 2,000 species.

Description

Alstonia scholaris by kadavoor
Alstonia scholaris, arrangement of leaves

Growth pattern

The dogbane family includes annual plants, perennial herbs, stem succulents, woody shrubs, trees, or vines. Most exude a milky sap with latex, if injured.

Leaves and stems

Leaves are (simple). Leaves may appear one at a time (singly) with each occurrence on alternating sides of the stem (alternate), but usually occur in pairs or in whorls. When paired, they occur on opposite sides of the stem (opposite), with each pair occurring at an angle rotated 90° to the pair below it (decussate).

There is no stipule (a small leaf-like structure at the base of the leaf stem), or stipules are small and sometimes fingerlike.

Inflorescence and fruit

Flowers are usually showy, have radial symmetry (actinomorphic), and are born in head that are cymes or racemes, but can rarely be fasciculate or solitary. They are perfect (bisexual), with a synsepalous, five-lobed calyx united into a tube at the base. Inflorescences are terminal or axillary. Five petals are united into a tube with four or five epipetalous stamens. The style is expanded at the apex into a massive clavuncle just below the stigma. The ovary is usually superior, bicarpellary, and apocarpous, with a common fused style and stigma.

The fruit is a drupe, a berry, a capsule, or a follicle.

Images for kids

  • Rhigospira quadrangularis On the Apocynaceae of South America, with some preliminary remarks on the whole family (1878) (20720691296) (cropped)

    Rhigospira quadrangularis, portion of a plant. 1) the inflorescence and 2) a flower, to scale; 3) corolla in bud, showing the pyramidal form of the erect segments in aestivation and 4) the same cut open when expanded, showing their simple sinistrorse convolution and the nearly basal position of the stamens, both magnified; 5) the calyx, disk, very short style, clavuncle, and stigmata, to scale; 6) the same, magnified; 7) a stamen, much magnified.

  • Acokanthera oblongifolia 2445

    Acokanthera oblongifolia

  • Adenium obesum3

    Adenium obesum

  • Allamanda cathartica flowers 2

    Allamanda cathartica

  • Amsonia tabernaemontana kz01

    Amsonia tabernaemontana

  • Caralluma acutangula Bild0685

    Caralluma acutangula

  • Caralluma europaea - cvet

    Caralluma europaea

  • Caralluma socotrana 01

    Caralluma socotrana

  • Cascabela thevetia1MTFL

    Cascabela thevetia (syn. Thevetia peruviana)

  • Cerbera manghas flower

    Cerbera manghas

  • Cryptolepis buchananii (2618297906)

    Cryptolepis dubia

  • Holarrhena pubescens flowers

    Holarrhena pubescens

  • Hoodia gordonii 1DS-II 2-3327

    Hoodia gordonii

  • Mandevilla boliviensis

    Mandevilla boliviensis

  • Nerium oleander pink

    Nerium oleander

  • Ochrosia borbonica 02

    Ochrosia borbonica

  • Pachypodium lamerei 5Dsr 1733

    Pachypodium lamerei

  • Comarca Oeste, Las Palmas, Spain - panoramio

    Pachypodium lamerei growth habit

  • Fiore di Periploca graeca

    Periploca graeca

  • Rhabdadenia madida

    Rhabdadenia madida

  • Rauvolfia serpentina 11

    Rauvolfia serpentina

  • Secamone alpini00

    Secamone alpini

  • Aasblume Aug 2005

    Stapelia gigantea

  • Strophanthus speciosus 1DS-II 6026

    Strophanthus speciosus

  • Tabernaemontana divaricata flower in jaffna

    Tabernaemontana divaricata

  • Tabernanthe iboga MS 4098

    Tabernanthe iboga in flower and fruit.

  • (MAD) T. jasminoides-1

    Trachelospermum jasminoides

  • Vinca minor beentree

    Vinca minor

  • Wrightia tinctoria flowers in Keesaraguda, AP W IMG 9109

    Wrightia tinctoria

  • Wrightia antidysenterica (2)

    Wrightia antidysenterica

  • Wrightia tinctoria 09

    Wrightia tinctoria single flower

  • Acokanthera oblongifolia 03

    Acokanthera oblongifolia

  • Fruits in Adenuim Obesum Plant on Terrace garden

    Adenium obesum

  • Adenium obesum pod and seeds

    Adenium obesum dehiscence of single fruit.

  • Allamanda cathartica MHNT

    Allamanda cathartica

  • Milkweed-in-seed

    Asclepias syriaca dehiscent follicles (before unfurling of pappi)

  • Asclepias curassavica 003

    Asclepias curassavica dehiscent follicles shedding seeds with unfurled pappi

  • Cerbera tanghin - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-176

    Cerbera manghas

  • Cryptolepis buchananii (6048993215)

    Cryptolepis dubia

  • Holarrhena pubescens fruits

    Holarrhena pubescens

  • Hoodia gordonii Frucht P1010402

    Hoodia gordoniI

  • Mandevilla boliviensis 9zz

    Mandevilla boliviensis

  • Nerium oleander seeds

    Nerium oleander (dehiscence)

  • Ochrosia borbonica fruit 1

    Ochrosia borbonica

  • Pachypodium namaquanum 1DS-II 1-C5587

    Pachypodium namaquanum

  • Periploca graeca Silk Vine ღვედკეცი

    Periploca graeca

  • Plumeria alba (seed pods)

    Plumeria alba

  • സർപഗന്ധി വിത്തുകൾ 13

    Rauvolfia serpentina

  • Saba senegalensis MS 1367

    Saba senegalensis unripe fruit

  • Saba senegalensis - fruit pulp sections

    Saba senegalensis: dissection of ripe, edible fruit

  • Secamone parvifolia 1DS-II 3-3506

    Secamone parvifolia

  • Stapelia gigantea 1DS-II 8834

    Stapelia gigantea

  • Strophanthus speciosus, vrugkapsule en sade, Manie van der Schijff BT, a

    Strophanthus speciosus (dehiscence)

  • Tabernaemontana catharinensis (1)

    Tabernaemontana catharinensis (dehiscence)

  • Iboga

    Tabernanthe iboga

  • Thevetia peruviana 04

    Thevetia peruviana

  • Thevetia peruviana - Fruits

    Thevetia peruviana: dissection of toxic fruits.

  • Trachelospermum jasminoides fruits+seeds

    Trachelospermum jasminoides (dehiscence)

  • Trachelospermum jasminoides seeds

    Trachelospermum jasminoides: individual seeds, showing pappus

  • Vinca major vima 002 php

    Vinca major (seeds)

  • Illustration Vinca minor0 clean

    Vinca minor: botanical plate showing paired fruits (no. 5)

  • Wrightia tinctoria 32

    Wrightia tinctoria

  • Desert rose Adenium obesum in Tanzania 2259 Nevit

    Adenium obesum growth habit of wild specimens, Tanzania

  • Desert Rose (Adenium obesum), Ghana

    Adenium obesum close-up of colossal specimen, Ghana

  • Desert Rose, Socotra Is (17131661372)

    Adenium obesum trunk of extreme pachycaul specimen, Socotra

  • Pachypodium lamerei 01

    Pachypodium lamerei wild specimen of maximum height (approx 6 m (20 ft)) attained by species

  • Pachypodium lamieri1MTFL

    Pachypodium lamerei in flower

  • PachypodiumLamerei

    Pachypodium lamerei mature, multi-trunked specimen cultivated in glasshouse

  • Pachypodium namaquanum00

    Pachypodium namaquanum

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Apocynaceae para niños

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