Strychnos angustiflora Benth.

The seeds, bark, and young leaves contain the poisonous alkaloids strychnine and brucine, which are used to treat sore throats and for antiswelling.

Lianas to 10 m, glabrous except for inflorescences and flowers. Branchlets with 2--5 cm axillary tendrils; older branches with axillary thorns. Petiole 4--6 mm; leaf blade ovate, elliptic, or suborbicular, 3--8 X 2--4 cm, leathery, base obtuse to rounded or sometimes slightly cordate, apex acute to obtuse, basal veins 3--5, lateral veins more delicate than midvein. Thyrses terminal, 2--4 cm, pubescent. Flowers 5-merous, 8--11 mm. Calyx lobes ovate to triangular, 1--1.5 mm, outside puberulent. Corolla white, salverform; tube 4--5 mm, throat and base of lobes with long woolly hairs; lobes narrowly oblong, ± as long as tube. Stamens inserted at mouth or corolla tube, ca. 2 mm; filaments filiform, longer than anthers; anthers oblong, exserted, base glabrous. Pistil ca. 1 cm, glabrous. Ovary ovoid, ca. 0.7 mm. Style slender. Berries orange when ripe, globose, 2--4 cm in diam., smooth, 1--6-seeded. Seeds pale yellowish gray, orbicular, flat, 1--1.8 cm in diam., covered with extremely fine sericeous hairs. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Jul-Dec.

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, S Yunnan [Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam]

Open woodlands, scrub; 300--800 m.

Strychnos usitata Pierre ex Dop var. cirrosa Dop.