Apocynaceae (Dogbane Family) Quiz

The dogbane (Apocynaceae) family is group of plants that can be both beautiful and toxic, Oleanders in particular are well known but deadly garden plant.

Even name Apocynaceae has deadly connotations conjuring images of apocalypse and cyanide poisons.

Apocynaceae is a diverse family which members occupy all strata including trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and groundcovers. They can occur in high rainfall environments like tropical rainforests or in dry deserts as succulents.

Apocynaceae family members are found across the world with highest species occuring in tropical and subtropical regions closest to the equator, there are also temperate herbaceous species but very few cold climate species.

A characteristic shared by most members of the Apocynaceae is the white milky latex which is exuded via the stems, leaves and even fruit when broken. Because this and another family, the Euphorbiaceae, are both generally toxic and have white sap, milky sap has become a go-to indicator that a plant is toxic but this is not always the case, figs for example also have white sap but are edible.

Many species of Apocynaceae have showy flowers and this trait has been selected for and bred by the plant nursery trade. Nowadays many of these once exotic plant species can be commonly found growing in home gardens, periwinkles, frangipani and oleanders are some of the best known but there are many others.

Test your knowledge of the plant family Apocynaceae by looking at each of the five photos below and then selecting the correct name in the plant identification quiz below them, good luck!