Acokanthera schimperi (A.DC.) Schweinf., Apocynaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Evaluate, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Acokanthera ouabaio Cathel. ex L. Lewin; Carissa schimperi A. DC.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: arrow-poison-tree, common-poisonbush

Habit:  shrub/tree

Description:  "Shrub or tree 1-10 m high, branching from the base; bark rough grey-brown; slash cream with fine orange streaks; young branches glabrous or pubescent, conspicuously angled and ribbed. Leaves petiolate, petiole 3-6 mm long; blade ovate, obovate, elliptic to suborbicular, 1-8 (-10) cm long, 1.1-6.5 cm wide, rounded or acute at the apex, with a hard mucro, sometimes emarginate, cuneate or rounded at the base, coriaceous, glabrous; secondary veins obscure, especially beneath. Inflorescence contracted, of many-flowered axillary cymes; sepals ovate, 1-2 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, pubescent or glabrous, ciliate. Corolla tube pink or reddish, 8-11 mm long, glabrous or pubescent on external surface, inner surface pilose in the upper half and wrinkled below; lobes pink outside, white inside, ovate, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, acuminate at the apex, pubescent at the base inside, glabrous or pubescent outside, ciliate; stamens slightly exserted, inserted at 7-10 mm from the base; anthers ovate, 1-1.5 mm long, acumen 0.2 mm long; pistil 7.5-10 mm long. Fruit purple when ripe, ellipsoid, 10-25 mm long; seeds up to 13 mm long"  (Flora of Tropical East Africa on JSTOR Plant Science).

var. rotundata Codd:  "Shrub or small much-branched tree up to 5 m. high and 5 m. in diameter, with rough bark. Young branches pubescent or less often glabrous, conspicuously angled and ribbed. Leaves very coriaceous, often drying somewhat concave, slightly to strongly papillose-scabrid, especially above; petiole 3-7 mm. long, pubescent on upper surface; lamina 3·8-7·5 x 2·5-4·8 cm., broadly elliptic to subcircular, the apex obtuse with blunt or sharp mucro, the base rounded; upper surface glossy, with midrib level and lateral veins faintly raised or impressed, glabrous except for a line of hairs sometimes continuing from the petiole along the midrib; lower surface mat, midrib raised, laterals faintly so; lateral veins looped to join their neighbors. Inflorescences dense contracted many-flowered axillary cymes; flowers sweet-smelling, with pink or red corolla tube and white lobes. Calyx 2-2·5 mm. long, lobes ovate-acute with often slightly recurved tip, strongly imbricate, dorsally pubescent and ciliate. Corolla tube 9-12 mm. long, glabrous to minutely pubescent on external surface, long-pilose above and wrinkled below, on inner surface; corolla lobes subcircular with apex rounded or cuspidate, 3-5·5 mm. long, ciliate or not, pubescent or glabrous. Stamens inserted at the top of the corolla tube so that the anther tips are just visible at anthesis; anthers 1-1·3 mm. long. Ovary 0·6-0·7 mm. long, conical. Ripe fruit up to 2 cm. in diameter, subglobose, red to purple, 1-2-seeded. Seeds up to 1 cm. long"  (Flora Zambesiaca online).

Habitat/ecology:  "250-2200 m"  (Flora of Tropical East Africa on JSTOR Plant Science).  var. rotundata Codd:  "on cliffs, among rocks and in open grassland"  (Flora Zambesiaca online).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Northeastern Africa and Yemen; also cultivated (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1990) (voucher ID: PTBG 16265) Taxon name on voucher: Acokanthera schimperi (A.DC.) Schweinf.

Additional information:
Additional online information about Acokanthera schimperi is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Acokanthera schimperi as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Acokanthera schimperi may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 1990. Voucher specimen #PTBG16265(Hans T. Beck 1282).

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2012. Flora Zambesiaca (online resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.