This volume treats the species belonging to two subfamilies, the
Apocynoideae and Rauvolfioideae, of the large Apocynaceae family occurring in
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. The family is often
instantly recognisable through its combination of (usually) opposite leaves and
the presence of latex, and these days also comprises the former Asclepiadaceae.
The two subfamilies treated here represent the Apocynaceae as formerly delimited.
In the Flora area they are represented by 37 genera with 138 species. Most
species contain toxic glycosides, and therefore many medicinal uses are known.
Each species treatment comes with a full description, synonyms, data on distribution,
conservation, habitat, vernacular names and uses, as well as references to
additional literature and the citation of representative specimens. User-friendly
keys to all genera and species are provided, along with 130 detailed line drawings
to assist species recognition.