Strophanthus, a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Apocynaceæ, and natives of tropical Africa and Asia. The flowers are in terminal heads; the corolla is funnel-shaped, with its limb divided into five long cord-like segments (hence the name, Gr. strophos, 'a twisted cord,' anthos, 'a flower'); the style is thread-like, surmounted by a cylindrical stigma; and the fruit is a double follicle. Each follicle contains a large number of seeds having beautiful comose awns. There are several species, but the best known is the S. hispidus, var. Kombé, the seeds of which are now largely used in medicine. This species is widely distributed in tropical Africa, and climbs up the highest trees, hanging from one to the other in festoons. It has follicles 8 to 12 inches long, containing from about 100 to 200 seeds, each of which weighs about half a grain. An extract of the seeds is used as an arrow-poison (Kombé or inee) in districts widely apart, as at Kombé, in the Manganja country, in the Zambesi district, in the Somali country, in the Gaboon district, in Guinea, and in Senegambia. Dr Livingstone described it as used for killing animals only. The wounded animal is followed until the poison begins to take effect, it is then watched until it drops, the portion of meat round the wound is cut away and all the rest eaten.
In the British Pharmacopœia Strophanthus is defined as the mature ripe seeds of S. hispidus, var. Kombé, freed from the awns. Each seed is about inch long, inch broad, oval in shape, and flattened at the sides. The seed-coat is of a fawn colour, and covered with silky hairs. The kernel is white and oily, with a very bitter taste. The seeds contain an active principle, strophanthin, which is extremely poisonous, the medicinal dose of it being to grain. The drug is usually administered in the form of the officinal tincture of strophanthus made from the seed, of which the dose is 2 to 10 minims. Its action and uses are very similar to those of Digitalis (q.v.).