Marsdenia abyssinica (Hochst.) Schltr.

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Photo: Mark Hyde
Edge of garden in property adjacent to Rhodesville Catholic Church, Harare.

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Synonyms:	Dregea abyssinica (Hochst.) K. Schum. Dregea africana (Decne.) Martelli Hoya africana Decne. Marsdenia spissa S. Moore Pterygocarpus abyssinicus Hochst.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Woody scrambler up to several metres with white latex; older wood lenticellate, soft and corky below. Young shoots minutely velvety. Leaves ovate to broadly elliptic, 5–10 cm long, hairless on both surfaces; petiole 1–2.5 cm long, minutely velvety. Inflorescences extra-axillary, with congested, irregularly branched clusters of flowers; peduncles 1–2.5 cm long; pedicels 0.7–1.4 cm long. Sepals broadly ovate to orbicular, 1.5–3 mm long and wide, densely velvety at least towards the base. Flowers sweetly scented with corolla lobes overlapping to the right. Corolla white, cream or green; lobes ovate or oblong, 4–5 mm long, hairless or sparsely pubescent outside, densely pubescent, even bearded towards the apex, margins and throat inside. Fruit in paired or single ovoid follicles occurring singly or in opposite pairs, woody, ovoid, 6–10 cm long, tapering to a pointed apex, covered with many well-developed and extremely convoluted longitudinal wings.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	abyssinica: of Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
Habitat:
Altitude range:	400 - 1500 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Widespread in Africa from Ghana and Nigeria in the west to Ethiopia and Sudan in the Northeast and southwards to Zambia and Zimbabwe
Mozambique distribution:	N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Bullock, A.A. (1956). Notes on African Asclepiadaceae: VIII. Kew Bulletin 11(3) Pages 516 - 517. As Dregia abyssinica Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 270. As Dregea abyssinica Goyder, D., Harris, T., Masinde, S., Meve, U. & Venter, J. (2012). Apocynaceae (part 2) Flora of Tropical East Africa Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Goyder, D.J., Gilbert, M.G. & Venter, H.J.T. (2020). Apocynaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 7(2) Page 79. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 21. Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 25.

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Flora of Zambia: Marsdenia abyssinica
Flora of Zimbabwe: Marsdenia abyssinica

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Marsdenia abyssinica
African Plant Database: Marsdenia abyssinica
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Marsdenia abyssinica
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Marsdenia abyssinica
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Marsdenia abyssinica
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iNaturalist: Marsdenia abyssinica
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Marsdenia abyssinica
JSTOR Plant Science: Marsdenia abyssinica
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Marsdenia abyssinica
Plants of the World Online: Marsdenia abyssinica
Tropicos: Marsdenia abyssinica
Wikipedia: Marsdenia abyssinica