Orthanthera jasminiflora (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Vegetable
Medicinal
Forage / feed
Food security

Orthanthera jasminiflora (Decne.) Schinz

Protologue: Verhandl. Bot. Ver. Brandenb. 30: 265 (1888).

Family: Asclepiadaceae (APG: Apocynaceae)

Chromosome number:

Barrowia jasminiflora Decne. (1844), Orthanthera browniana Schinz (1888).

Orthanthera jasminiflora occurs in DR Congo, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

In northern Botswana, the paired young fruits of Orthanthera jasminiflora are eaten fresh or cooked as a vegetable.

Climbing herb up to 5 m long with a woody, stout rhizome; stem procumbent, branching, scabrous to pubescent. Leaves opposite, simple; petiole 2–10 mm long; blade linear, ovate or elliptical, 1.5–7 cm × 0.5–2.5 cm, base rounded, truncate or cordate, apex acute, margin entire but often wavy or crisped, rather thick and rigid, scabrous-pubescent. Inflorescence an umbel, 2–13-flowered; peduncle up to 4 cm long. Flowers bisexual, regular, 5-merous; pedicel 0.5–1.5 cm long; calyx divided with lanceolate lobes, up to 6 mm × 2 mm; corolla tubular, cream-coloured, strongly scented, pubescent, tube up to 2 cm long, globose-pentagonal at base, cylindrical above, lobes linear-lanceolate, up to 12 mm × 2 mm, spreading; corona lobes 1 mm long; stamens with connivent, linear anthers 1–2 mm long, apiculate; ovary superior, style shorter than anthers. Fruit a pair of follicles, each one fusiform, up to 10 cm × 12 mm, tapering into a long beak.

In Africa the genus Orthanthera comprises 5 species, but it is badly known.

Orthanthera jasminiflora grows in dry savanna.

It is unknown whether Orthanthera jasminiflora is in danger of genetic erosion.

The nutritional value of the fruits should be investigated before any prospect can be given.

• van Wyk, B.E., van Oudtshoorn, B. & Gericke, N., 1997. Medicinal plants of South Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria, South Africa. 304 pp.

• Brown, N.E., 1902–1904. Asclepiadaceae. In: Thiselton-Dyer, W.T. (Editor). Flora of tropical Africa. Volume 4(1). Lovell Reeve & Co, London, United Kingdom. pp. 231–503.

• P.C.M. Jansen

PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Jansen, P.C.M., 2004. Orthanthera jasminiflora (Decne.) Schinz. [Internet] Record from PROTA4U. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. <http://www.prota4u.org/search.asp>.

Accessed 3 April 2025.

• See the Prota4U database.