Ancylobothrys is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family Apocynaceae (subfamily Rauvolfioideae, tribe Willughbeieae, subtribe Landolphiinae), first described by the French botanist Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre. The genus is found across tropical and southern Africa.
Members of the genus are climbing shrubs. The type species and best-known member, Ancylobothrys petersiana (sometimes called climbing wild apricot), grows as a scrambling shrub reaching up to 6 metres tall, bearing fragrant flowers with a creamy or white corolla. Its fruit is a spherical berry up to 6 centimetres in diameter, with edible sour pulp surrounding numerous seeds.
As of December 2023, Plants of the World Online accepted eight species: A. amoena, A. capensis, A. petersiana, A. pumila, A. pyriformis, A. robusta, A. scandens, and A. tayloris — collectively distributed from West Africa through Central and East Africa to southern Africa, the Comoros, and Madagascar.
Distribution
The genus Ancylobothrys is native to tropical and southern Africa. Its eight species collectively range from West Africa (e.g. A. amoena, A. scandens) through Central and East Africa (A. pyriformis, A. robusta, A. tayloris) to southern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. A. petersiana has the broadest range, extending from Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo south to South Africa, with populations in the Comoros and Madagascar, and has naturalised in Mauritius. A. capensis is restricted to Botswana and South Africa, while A. pumila is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal.
Ecology
Members of Ancylobothrys inhabit woodland and rocky hillsides, as documented for A. petersiana. The genus occurs across a wide range of tropical and subtropical African biomes from West African forests to southern African woodlands and rocky outcrops.
Taxonomy
Ancylobothrys was described by Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre and is placed in the family Apocynaceae, subfamily Rauvolfioideae, tribe Willughbeieae, and subtribe Landolphiinae. The genus belongs to the order Gentianales within the asterid clade of flowering plants. The spelling Ancylobotrys is sometimes encountered but the accepted orthography is Ancylobothrys. As of December 2023, Plants of the World Online (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) recognises eight species.
Cultural Uses
The fruit of Ancylobothrys petersiana (vernacular name: climbing wild apricot) contains edible sour pulp surrounding numerous seeds. It is consumed fresh out of hand and also prepared as a sweetened juice. The fruit is sold in local markets within its native range for this purpose.
