Adenium boehmianum | |
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In flower near the Cunene River, Namibia | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Gentianales |
Family: | Apocynaceae |
Genus: | Adenium |
Species: | A. boehmianum
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Binomial name | |
Adenium boehmianum |
Adenium boehmianum, the Bushman poison, is a poisonous succulent endemic to the mostly dry regions of northern Namibia and southern Angola.[1] The San people boil the root sap and latex to prepare arrow poison, which is sufficient for hunting large mammals, as it contains strong cardiotoxic effects.[1] The leaves, borne only for three months a year, are arranged spirally and are clustered near the branch tips. A plant will flower for only a few weeks in winter.[1] The oblong fruit releases many seeds through a longitudinal slit, which due to their lateral tufts, can be dispersed by wind.