Flora of North America species comparison

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Allamanda cathartica

brownbud allamanda, golden trumpet
Habit Shrubs sprawling.
Leaves

petiole 0–2 mm, pubescent;

blade oblanceolate, 50–150 × 15–40 mm, subcoriaceous, base attenuate, margins often slightly revolute, apex cuspidate, surfaces pubescent along midvein abaxially.
Peduncles

10–40 mm, pubescent.
Pedicels

4–6 mm, pubescent.
Flowers

calyx lobes ovate to narrowly ovate, 10–12 mm, glabrous;

corolla tube 20–35 × 2–3.5 mm, throat 20–40 × 15–25 mm, lobes spreading, obliquely ovate to suborbiculate, 12–35 × 10–40 mm.
Capsules

4–5 × 3.5–4 cm.
Seeds

13–22 mm.
2n

= 18.

Allamanda cathartica
Phenology Flowering spring–fall; fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat Ham­mocks, lakeshores, dunes, abandoned citrus groves and other disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–20 m. [0–70 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
FL; ne South America [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, Central America, and in tropical regions nearly worldwide]
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allamanda cathartica is native to northeastern South America (R. E. Woodson Jr. et al. 1970) but is widely cultivated and has escaped and become naturalized in both the New World and Old World Tropics. It is naturalized along much of the eastern coast of southern Mexico and Central America and has been reported to reach treelike proportions in Venezuela (T. J. Rosatti 1989). The globose capsules with spines to 15 mm are unique among the genera of Apocynaceae in the flora area.

The medicinal and toxic properties of Allamanda cathartica have been well documented. U. Quattrocchi (2012) reported that the latex may cause a contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals and severe catharsis on ingestion. An infusion of the leaves has been used as both an emetic and a purgative and has been demonstrated to have strong fungal toxicity against certain dermatophytes. According to G. E. Burrows and R. J. Tyrl (2013), the purgative effects result from the action of several types of iridoid compounds.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 14. Treatment author: David E. Lemke.
Parent taxa Apocynaceae > Allamanda
Name authority Linnaeus: Mant. Pl. 2: 214. (1771) — (as Allemanda)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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