1. The document discusses the Apocynaceae family of flowering plants, which includes about 400 genera and 4,555 species of trees, shrubs, and herbs distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. 2. Most members of the family are poisonous but also used medicinally due to the presence of cardiac glycosides and alkaloids. Some are cultivated as ornamentals for their attractive flowers and foliage. 3. Important genera include Nerium (oleander), Catharanthus (periwinkle), Rauwolfia, Thevetia, Plumeria, Tabernaemontana, and Carissa. Several species have economic and medicinal importance.

1. Wel Come to All B.Sc. II Year Students in LMS
“ANGIOSPERMS SYSTEMATIC, ANATOMY AND
EMBRYOLOGY”
Unit – III- (Apocynaceae)
‘Angiosperms Systematic’
DR. SWATI V. PUNDKAR
Assistant Professor
Department of Botany
Shri Shivaji Science College, Amravati
NAAC Accredited ‘A’ Grade

2. FAMILY- APOCYNACEAE
Apocynaceae, the dogbane family of flowering plants,
including about 400 genera and about 4,555 species of
trees, shrubs and herbs. Members of the family are
distributed primarily in tropical and subtropical areas of
the world. Nearly all members of this family are
poisonous, and many species are used medicinally
because of the presence of cardiac glycosides and
various alkaloids. A number are cultivated as
ornamentals for their attractive flowers and foliage.

3. Apocynaceae
AA
Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae

4. FAMILY - APOCYNACEAE
Nerium indicum
Catharanthus roseusAdenium
Rauwolfia sarpentina
Tabernaemontana diavaricata
Plumeria acutifolia
P. rubra

5. Major Genera And Species
Garden ornamentals belonging to the family Apocynaceae
include periwinkle (Vinca), oleander (Nerium), yellow
oleander (Thevetia), frangipani (Plumeria), Natal plum
(Carissa) and crepe jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata).
Several species of the genera Trachelospermum (especially
star jasmine, T. jasminoides), Mandevilla, and Allamanda are
attractive woody vines. Dogbane (Apocynum) and bluestar
(Amsonia) are sometimes grown as ornamentals. The impala
lily (Adenium multiflorum) is an ornamental shrub with star-
shaped flowers and large underground tubers.

6. Habit:
There is a great variation in the habit of the plants of this family.
They may be herbs, erect or twining shrubs or trees. Vinca rosea
(Verna-Sadabahar) is a perennial herb; Vallaris solanacea
(Verna-Ramsar) is a large twining shrub; Nerium indicum (N.
odorum) is a large shrub with beautiful red or white flowers;
Thevetia peruviana or Thevetia nerifolia (Verna-Pili kaner) is a
large shrub or a small tree; Plumeria acutifolia is a small sized
tree and Alstonia scholaris is a medium sized tree. In some
genera, the stem becomes tuber like, e.g., Adenium. The species
of Landolphia and Clitandra are climbing shrubs.
The latex is present in most of the genera.

7. Root:
Tap and branched.
Stem:
Usually erect, branched,
solid, glabrous rarely
tuber-like and thick.

8. Leaves:
The leaves are simple,
petiolate, usually opposite
decussate. In rare cases
the leaves are alternate or
even whorled (e.g., in
Nerium odorum, Alstonia,
etc.) Usually the leaves are
exstipulate and very rarely
they may be stipulate.

9. Inflorescence:
Usually the inflorescence is of cymose type. It is very rarely solitary as in Vinca. In
Carissa, the flowers are found to be arranged in corymbose cymes. In Plumeria, the
flowers are arranged in terminal cymes. In Alstonia, the flowers are found to be
arranged in umbellate branched panicle cymes. In Rauwolfia, the flowers are
arranged in umbellate or corymbose cymes.

10. Flowers:
The flowers are pedicellate, bracteate, bracteolate, hermaphrodite,
actinomorphic, regular, sometimes slightly, zygomorphic, complete,
hypogynous and pentamerous. In rare cases the flowers are tetramerous
with reduction to two in the pistil.

11. Calyx:
Usually it consists of five sepals, gamosepalous. The calyx is generally
divided almost to the base. The aestivation is quincuncial.

12. Corolla:
Usually the corolla consists of five petals, gamopetalous. It is generally
salver or funnel shaped. The corolla tube usually possesses hairy
appendage or scales. The aestivation is contorted.

13. Androecium:
It consists of five stamens alternating with the petals. The stamens are
situated on the tube or the throat of the corolla (i.e., epipetalous). The
filaments are short; anthers introrse, polyandrous or connate and often
adhere to the stigma. The antherlobes are sometimes empty at their base
and prolonged into spines.(Sagittate type)

14. Gynoecium: It consists of two carpels. The carpels may be free (apocarpous) or connate
(syncarpous); superior, sometimes partly inferior as in Plumeria. The style is simple and
the stigma is thick and often bilobed. Rarely the number of carpels exceeds, i.e., 3 to 5.
Usually a nectar secreting disc is situated beneath the gynoecium.
In syncarpous gynoecium, the ovary may be unilocular with parietal placentation or it
may be bilocular with axile placentation. In the case of separate ovaries the placentation
is marginal. The ovary is superior or half-inferior. Numerous ovules are found to be
situated on parietal placentas or in two chambered ovaries on marginal walls.

15. Fruit:
In the case of free ovaries, the fruit is a pair of follicles.
Sometimes the fruits of separate ovaries are fleshy and
indehiscent, or may be one seeded. In the case of syncarpous
ovary, usually the fruit is indehiscent, fleshy and berry-like, or a
drupe.

16. Seed:
In dry fruits the seeds are generally winged, Sometimes the seed bears a tuft of
hairs at the base, and sometimes at both ends,. The embryo is straight, with or
without endosperm.

17. Pollination:
Generally it takes place through the agency of insects.- Entomophily

18. Br

20. Economic Importance of Apocynaceae:
1. Vegetables:
The pulpy fruits of Carissa carandus (H. Karaunda) are edible and also pickled.
2. Medicinal:
The root of Rauwolfia serpentina (H. Sarpgandha) are used in lowering blood pressure,
sedative, stimulator for uterine contraction and in mental diseases. The juice of leaves is
used for removal of opacities of the cornea of the eyes. Anti-cancerous drugs are
extracted from Catharanthus roseus.
The bark of Alstonia scholaris is a febrifuga. Holarrhena antidysentrica yields a drug
which is a cure for amoebic dysentery.
3. Rubber:
Many species of Hancora, Dyera, Urceola are the sources of rubber.
4. Poisonous:
The seeds of Thevetia contain Thevetine a poisonous glycoside. The latex of Acokanthera
is used for poisoning arrows. The bark and wood of Nerium indicum provide rat-poison.
5. Ornamental:
Nerium, Catharanthus (syn. Vinca), Thevetia, Wrightia, Allamanda are cultivated in
gardens as ornamentals.

21. A list of some important plants is given here:
Nerium indicum; Eng.-Oleander; Verna.-Kaner.-It is a shrub. They are grown as hedge
plants. The plants possess medicinal properties.
Rauwolfia serpentina; Verna.-Chhotachand/Sarpgandha.-This is a small shrub found
in Assam, Dehradun, Bihar, the Western Ghats and Bengal; the roots possess
medicinal properties and are used in the treatment of hypertension, mental disorders
and related ailments.
Thevetia peruviana; Eng.-Yellow oleander; Verna.- Pilikaner.- It is a shrub. The plants
are grown as ornamental. They are also grown as hedge plants. The latex is highly
poisonous.
Tabernaemontana divaricate –Verna.- Tagar/Swastik- Grown as an ornamental. The
red pulp around seed is used as a dye. Wood is refrigerant. Milky juice is used for
diseases of eye. Root is acrid, bitter, used as local anodyne and chewed for relief of
toothache.