''Alafia lucida'' is a plant in the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

Description

''Alafia lucida'' grows as a

liana A liana is a long-Plant stem, stemmed Woody plant, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the Canopy (biology), canopy in search of direct sunlight. T ...

up to long, with a stem diameter of up to . Its fragrant flowers feature a yellow or cream corolla, dark red at the throat. The fruit is dark brown with paired cylindrical follicles, each up to in diameter.

Distribution and habitat

''Alafia lucida'' is native to an area of tropical Africa from Liberia east to Tanzania. Its habitat is forests, from sea level to altitude.

Uses

Local traditional medicinal uses of ''Alafia lucida'' include as a treatment for

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or, less frequently, greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving ...

, eye problems and stomach complaints. The plant has been used as

arrow poison Arrow poisons are used to poison arrow heads or darts for the purposes of hunting and warfare. They have been used by indigenous peoples worldwide and are still in use in areas of South America, Africa and Asia. Notable examples are the poisons se ...

References

lucida Plants described in 1894 Plants used in traditional African medicine Flora of Africa {{Apocynaceae-stub