Table 14.1
Botanical description of various Alstonia
species
Species
Bark and trunk
Leaves
Flowers or inflorescences
Fruits
Seed
A. scholaris
(Jøker 2000;
Khyade et al.
2014)
Greyish-brown,
lenticellate
Simple, whorled with 4–7
unequal leaves that are
narrow elliptic-oblanceolate
Flowers are greenish-white,
bisexual, compact, paniculate
cyme, pubescent
Linear, 20–50 cm long
dehiscent, follicles
(two-lobed)
Oblong, hairs at
both ends
A. actinophylla
(Flora Malesiana
DataPortal;
Monachino
1949)
Greyish bark,
copious, glabrous
branchlets
Whorls of 3–7, elliptic or
sublanceolate leaf-blades,
prominulous transverse
veins
Loosely cymose inflorescence,
glabrous corolla and follicles,
slender pedicels
Glabrous, a pair of
follicles and about 8–
20 cm long
Oblong, long
ciliated
A. angustifolia
(Monachino
1949)
Bark smooth, grey
or brown,
flaky or
fissured
3-whorled, stalked leaves
have leathery leaf-blades
that are narrowly
lance-shaped
Terminal inflorescence
Follicles are 50–70 cm
long
Oblong,
pointed at one
end, and 1 cm
long
A. angustiloba
(Monachino
1949; NParks
Flora & Fauna
Web 2019)
Dark grey, rough,
fissured, and
peeling off in
rectangular
flakes
Elliptic leaf-blades, broad,
and acuminate at the apex
Puberulent inflorescences, ovate
to lanceolate calyx tubes, and
oblong-ligulate corolla lobes
Dehiscent, develop as a
pair of pods and
cylindrical follicles.
Numerous dark
brown, oblong
A. boonei
(Monachino
1949; Adotey
et al. 2012)
Buttresses
deep-fluted high
and narrow
Whorls at nodes,
oblanceolate, apex rounded
to acuminate
Flowers are white with long
pedicels, tomentose follicles
Pair of slender follicle
with brown
floss at either
end
Seeds bearing a
tuft of silky
A. congensis
(Monachino
1949; Lemmens
2005)
Brown, smooth/
rough, lenticellate
Whorls of 4–6, simple and
entire, leaf-blades are
acuminate at the apex
Puberulent or glabrous
inflorescence, glabrous ovary and
follicles
Glabrous, a pair linear
follicles 20–45 cm long
Brown, oblong,
and
flattened
(continued)
14 Pharmaceutical Application of Bio-actives …
467
Botanical description of various Alstonia
species
Species
Bark and trunk
Leaves
Flowers or inflorescences
Fruits
Seed
A. scholaris
(Jøker 2000;
Khyade et al.
2014)
Greyish-brown,
lenticellate
Simple, whorled with 4–7
unequal leaves that are
narrow elliptic-oblanceolate
Flowers are greenish-white,
bisexual, compact, paniculate
cyme, pubescent
Linear, 20–50 cm long
dehiscent, follicles
(two-lobed)
Oblong, hairs at
both ends
A. actinophylla
(Flora Malesiana
DataPortal;
Monachino
1949)
Greyish bark,
copious, glabrous
branchlets
Whorls of 3–7, elliptic or
sublanceolate leaf-blades,
prominulous transverse
veins
Loosely cymose inflorescence,
glabrous corolla and follicles,
slender pedicels
Glabrous, a pair of
follicles and about 8–
20 cm long
Oblong, long
ciliated
A. angustifolia
(Monachino
1949)
Bark smooth, grey
or brown,
flaky or
fissured
3-whorled, stalked leaves
have leathery leaf-blades
that are narrowly
lance-shaped
Terminal inflorescence
Follicles are 50–70 cm
long
Oblong,
pointed at one
end, and 1 cm
long
A. angustiloba
(Monachino
1949; NParks
Flora & Fauna
Web 2019)
Dark grey, rough,
fissured, and
peeling off in
rectangular
flakes
Elliptic leaf-blades, broad,
and acuminate at the apex
Puberulent inflorescences, ovate
to lanceolate calyx tubes, and
oblong-ligulate corolla lobes
Dehiscent, develop as a
pair of pods and
cylindrical follicles.
Numerous dark
brown, oblong
A. boonei
(Monachino
1949; Adotey
et al. 2012)
Buttresses
deep-fluted high
and narrow
Whorls at nodes,
oblanceolate, apex rounded
to acuminate
Flowers are white with long
pedicels, tomentose follicles
Pair of slender follicle
with brown
floss at either
end
Seeds bearing a
tuft of silky
A. congensis
(Monachino
1949; Lemmens
2005)
Brown, smooth/
rough, lenticellate
Whorls of 4–6, simple and
entire, leaf-blades are
acuminate at the apex
Puberulent or glabrous
inflorescence, glabrous ovary and
follicles
Glabrous, a pair linear
follicles 20–45 cm long
Brown, oblong,
and
flattened
(continued)
14 Pharmaceutical Application of Bio-actives …
467