Acokanthera is a genus of flowering plants in the familyApocynaceae. It comprises 5 species and is generally restricted to Africa, although A. schimperi also occurs in Yemen.[1] Its sap contains the deadly toxin ouabain, a glycoside that causes heart failure. The sap is among the most commonly used in arrow poisons,[2][3] including those used for poaching elephants.[4]
Acokanthera schimperi from Köhler's Medizinal Pflanzen 1897
The poison it contains works by stopping the heart, like most other arrow poisons.[5]
