Strophanthus luteolus

Strophanthus luteolus, commonly known as the golden poison-rope, is a deciduous climber, a woody vine or liana, growing stems from 2 m to 6 m long and semi-tuberous roots. The main stems are up to 25 cm in diameter. The plant resembles S. petersianus, one of the five Strophanthus species found in South Africa.

The species distribution is in the far north of KwaZulu-Natal and the Soutpansberg Mountains of Limpopo, more prevalent in Mozambique where the photo was taken, and maybe further afield.

The habitat is dunes in low coastal forests, low altitude bushveld and densely wooded, dry mountain slopes. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1998; Germishuizen and Fabian, 1982; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).