Secamone is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae (order Gentianales), comprising approximately 150 accepted species. The genus was first described by Robert Brown, published in 1809 in the Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society.
Members of the genus are climbing or twining shrubs typical of the subfamily Asclepiadoideae. They are distributed across a broad pantropical and subtropical range spanning much of sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia, and northern Australia. Madagascar is a major centre of diversity, with numerous species endemic to the island.
The genus name has been subject to revision over time: several formerly included species have been transferred to related genera, including Metastelma and Toxocarpus, reflecting ongoing refinement of tribal boundaries within Apocynaceae.
Distribution
Secamone is widespread across much of sub-Saharan Africa, southern Asia, and northern Australia, with a particularly high concentration of endemic species in Madagascar. The genus spans pantropical and subtropical zones across the Old World.
Taxonomy Notes
Secamone was first described by Robert Brown in 1809 (Mem. Wern. Soc. 1: 55) and is placed in the family Apocynaceae, order Gentianales. Several species formerly assigned to the genus have been transferred to Metastelma and Toxocarpus as circumscriptions within Asclepiadoideae have been revised. About 150 species are currently accepted; GBIF backbone recognises 168 descendants.
