Pachycarpus

Perennial herbs with annual stems growing from a tuberous rootstock. Stems 1-many, branched or unbranched, erect or ascending, with short spreading hairs. Milky latex present. Leaves opposite, lanceolate to broadly ovate; lateral veins prominent, looping to form a submarginal vein. Inflorescence terminal and extra-axillary, pedunculate, nodding or erect umbels. Corolla rotate or campanulate. Corona lobes arising near the base of the staminal column spreading or ascending, often dorsiventrally flattened, sometimes appearing cucullate or pouched, generally with an apical tongue. Anthers' wings vertical or spreading; appendages curved in over the stigma head. Follicles single by abortion, more or less erect on a twisted pedicel, weakly to strongly inflated, often with longitudinal ridges or wings.

Pachycarpus is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae, first described in 1838. It is native to Africa.

Species Pachycarpus appendiculatus E.Mey. - South Africa Pachycarpus asperifolius Meisn. - South Africa Pachycarpus bisacculatus (Oliv.) Goyder - Tanzania Pachycarpus campanulatus (Harv.) N.E.Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus concolor E.Mey. - South Africa Pachycarpus coronarius E.Mey. - South Africa Pachycarpus dealbatus E.Mey. - South Africa Pachycarpus decorus N.E.Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus distinctus (N.E.Br.) Bullock - SE Africa Pachycarpus eximius (Schltr.) Bullock - Rwenzori Mountains in Zaire + Uganda Pachycarpus firmus (N.E.Br.) Goyder - Angola Pachycarpus galpinii (Schltr.) N.E.Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus gerrardii N.E.Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus goetzei (K.Schum.) Bullock - Tanzania Pachycarpus grandiflorus (R.Br.) E.Mey. - South Africa (given as (L.f.) E.Mey in The Plant List, but this is in error; basionym is Xysmalobium grandiflorum R.Br. 1810, not the Mexican species Asclepias grandiflora L.f.) Pachycarpus grantii (Oliv.) Bullock - E Africa Pachycarpus inconstans N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus insignis N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus lebomboensis D.M.N. Sm. - KwaZulu-Natal Pachycarpus linearis N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus lineolatus (Decne.) Bullock - Angola Pachycarpus mackenii N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus macrochilus N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus medusonema Bullock - Cameroon Pachycarpus natalensis N.E. Br. - KwaZulu-Natal Pachycarpus petherickianus (Oliv.) Goyder - NE Africa Pachycarpus plicatus N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus reflectens E. Mey. - South Africa Pachycarpus rhinophyllus (K. Schum.) N.E. Br. - E + S Africa Pachycarpus rigidus E.Mey. ex Eckl. & Zeyh. - South Africa Pachycarpus robustus (A. Rich.) Bullock - Ethiopia Pachycarpus rostratus N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus scaber (Harv.) N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus schinzianus (Schltr.) N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus schweinfurthii (N.E.Br.) Bullock - C Africa Pachycarpus spurius (N.E. Br.) Bullock - Zambia Pachycarpus stelliceps N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus stenoglossus N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus suaveolens (Schltr.) Nicholas & Goyder - South Africa Pachycarpus transvaalensis (Schltr.) N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus validus N.E. Br. - South Africa Pachycarpus vexillaris E. Mey. - South Africa formerly included

moved to other genera (Asclepias, Gomphocarpus, Xysmalobium)

P. albens now Asclepias albens P. crispus now Asclepias crispa P. fulvus now Asclepias fulva P. gomphocarpoides now Asclepias gomphocarpoides P. graminifolius now Asclepias graminifolia P. humilis now Asclepias humilis P. ligulatus now Xysmalobium ligulatum P. marginatus now Gomphocarpus marginatus P. orbicularis now Gomphocarpus orbicularis P. viridiflorus now Asclepias fulva