About Strophanthus sarmentosus DC.
Strophanthus sarmentosus DC. grows either as a deciduous shrub or as a liana. It can reach up to 40 metres (130 ft) in length, with a stem diameter of up to 15 centimetres (6 in). Its flowers are fragrant, with a white to purple corolla that is streaked red or purple on the inside. This plant is native to an area extending from west and central tropical Africa to Uganda and Angola. Its common vernacular names are spider tresses and poison arrow vine. It grows in forested habitats, at altitudes ranging from sea level to 1,400 metres (4,600 ft). S. sarmentosus has numerous local medicinal uses, including the treatment of joint pain, head lice, eye conditions, and venereal disease. It has also been used as an ingredient in arrow poison. Botanist John Baldwin discovered that Strophanthus sarmentosus is a natural source of the steroid hormone cortisone, and it was used in the early manufacturing of cortisone-based drugs.
