Natal Plum

Anechites nerium (Aubl.) Urban, Repert. Sp. Nov. 16: 150. 1919
Apocynum Nerium Aubl. PI. Guian. Tab. Noms 3. 1775.
Echites lappulacea Lam. Encyc. 2: 341. 1786.
Echites asperuginis Sw. Prodr. 52. 1788.
Echites lappulacea var. asperuginis A. DC. in DC. Prodr. 8: 448. 1844.
Anechites lappulacea Miers, Apoc. S. Am. 237. 1878.
Slender liana; stems terete, minutely f erruginous-hirtellous ; leaves opposite, rather thinly membranaceous, broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic or obovate-elliptic, 5-12 cm. long, 1.5-5 cm. broad, narrowly and acutely acuminate, rounded to very obscurely and broadly cordate at the base, sparsely but conspicuously bullate-strigillose above, minutely ferruginous-hirtellous beneath, at least along the midrib, the petioles 10-20 mm. long; inflorescence somewhat longer than the subtending leaves, bearing 6-10 medium-sized white flowers; pedicels 7-8 mm. long; calyx-lobes oblong-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, rather sparsely pilosulous, imbricate; corolla salverform, minutely pilosulous externally, the tube 7-12 mm. long, about 1.25 mm. in diameter at the base, slightly inflated above the insertion of the stamens, the lobes obliquely obovate, 10-13 mm. long, spreading; stamens inserted near the middle of the corollatub e ; follicles narrowly terete, 1 -seeded by abortion, prolonged above into a tapering sterile beak with ferruginous barbate hairs.
Type locality: Antilles.
Distribution: Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico; Panama; also in Colombia and Ecuador.