Common Name:

General Information

Strophanthus kombe is a deciduous shrub growing up to 3.5 metres tall or, more commonly, a climbing shrub with stems up to 20 metres long, with clear, white or yellow exudate, roots thick and fleshy, necklace-shaped; stem up to 10 cm in diameter[].
The plant is gathered from the wild for local medicinal use and also to collect the seeds for export. The plant is sometimes cultivated for local use and also outside its native range to supply seeds for the pharmaceutical industry[].

Known Hazards

Throughout the species' range, the seeds and roots have been used in the preparation of an arrow poison since prehistoric times[].

Botanical References

Range

Eastern Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.

Habitat

Coastal forest, gallery forest, riparian thickets and woodland, often on inselbergs, at elevations from sea-level up to 1,100 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Climber
Height	10.00 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Although poisonous, this plant has a history of medical use in Africa[]. More recently, it has come to the attention of modern medicine as a source of cardio-active alkaloids which are extracted from the seeds and used as a heart stimulant and for their influence on blood circulation, especially in cases of chronic heart weakness[].

The seeds have been recommended as a gentle heart tonic when combined with valerian (Valeriana spp.) and deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)[]. This should only be used under he supervision of a qualified professional[].

More than a dozen cardiac glycosides (cardenolides) have been isolated from the plant. These are most abundant in the seed (about 4%) and are responsible for the activity as an arrow poison and as a cardiac and vascular stimulant[].
The seeds provide the precursor for the semi-synthetic compound acetylstrophanthidin, which is of clinical interest because of its rapid onset of vascular stimulant action when administered intravenously[].
The roots and fruits also contain considerable amounts of cardiac glycosides, while the leaves contain mainly resin[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings of semi-ripe wood.

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