Loganiaceae FAMILY

Gelsemium elegans

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant, but especially the leaves and the roots, contain alkaloids including gelsemidin, and are said to be very poisonous^{[1, 2]}. The plant has been used as a means of murder and suicide^[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Climber

Growth—

In view of its twining habit, the plant is suitable for training on trellis and pergolas or for growing on steep banks. Severe pruning after flowering is recommended to retain a moderately sized plant^[1].

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings of semi-ripe wood root easily^[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Gelsemium+elegans>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

[1]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
[2]Flora Malesiana Series 1 — Various · Nationaal Herbarium Nederiand, Universiteit Leiden branch · http://www.archive.org ↩︎A massive treatment of the plants of the Malaysian Archipelago. Much of it has been made available to download from the Internet
[3]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.