''Apocynum'', commonly known as dogbane or Indian hemp, is a small

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of the flowering plant family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...

. Its name comes from

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

, from "away" and "dog", referring to dogbane ('' Cionura erecta''), which was used to poison dogs. The genus is native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, temperate

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, and southeastern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. ''Apocynum'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

species, including the

mouse moth The mouse moth (''Amphipyra tragopoginis'') is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a widespread species with a Holarctic distribution. Distribution Europe (except the extreme north, and not occurring in the south of Spain, Sicily, or the Balkan ...

and the

queen butterfly The queen butterfly (''Danaus gilippus'') is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae with a wingspan of . It is orange or brown with black wing borders and small white forewing spots on its dorsal wing surface, and reddish ...

Uses

Apocynum cannabinum ''Apocynum cannabinum'' (dogbane, amy root, hemp dogbane, prairie dogbane, Indian hemp, rheumatism root, or wild cotton) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout much of North America—in the southern half of Canada and throughou ...

'' was used as a source of fiber by Native Americans. '' Apocynum venetum'' () is used as an

herbal tea Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Dogbane contains

cymarin Cymarin (or cymarine) is a cardiac glycoside. Plants of the genus ''Apocynum'', including ''Apocynum cannabinum ''Apocynum cannabinum'' (dogbane, amy root, hemp dogbane, prairie dogbane, Indian hemp, rheumatism root, or wild cotton) is a pe ...

, a cardiotonic agent formerly used to treat

cardiac arrhythmia Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...

in humans.National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cymarine
/ref>

Species

Almost 300 names have been proposed in the genus for species, subspecies, and forms. , only the following five species and hybrids are currently recognized, with several subspecies and varieties accepted for '' A. androsaemifolium'' and '' A. venetum'' (see their respective species pages). * ''

Apocynum androsaemifolium ''Apocynum androsaemifolium'', the fly-trap dogbane or spreading dogbane, is a flowering plant in the Gentianales order. It is common in North America. Description ''Apocynum androsaemifolium'' is a perennial herb with branching stems, hairs o ...

'' L. – Canada, United States, northeastern Mexico * ''

'' L. – Canada, United States * ''

Apocynum × floribundum ''Apocynum'' × ''floribundum'', the intermediate dogbane, is a member of the family Apocynaceae. It is widespread across Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico.Larson, J., Reif, B., Nelson, B.E. & Hartman, R.L. (2014). Floristic studies ...

'' Greene (a

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

of ''A. androsaemifolium'' and ''A. cannabinum'') – Canada, United States, northern Mexico * ''

Apocynum pictum ''Apocynum'', commonly known as dogbane or Indian hemp, is a small genus of the flowering plant family Apocynaceae. Its name comes from Ancient Greek , from "away" and "dog", referring to dogbane ('' Cionura erecta''), which was used to pois ...

'' Schrenk – China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan * '' Apocynum venetum'' L. – southeastern Europe and Asia

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q133242 Apocyneae Apocynaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus