Rhizocarpeae: The Tribe of Underground Stems and Unique Floral Morphology

Rhizocarpeae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, which is commonly known as the dogbane family. The tribe was previously classified as a subfamily (Rhizocarpaceae) within the Apocynaceae, but recent studies have shown that it is more closely related to the Apocynaceae than to other families.

The Rhizocarpeae tribe contains about 15 genera and approximately 200 species of flowering plants, which are distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of the world, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Australia. The tribe is characterized by its underground stems (rhizomes) that produce adventitious roots and leaves, as well as its unique floral morphology.

Some of the genera included in the Rhizocarpeae tribe include:

* Aspidosperma (dogbane)
* Atherosperma (Australian dogbane)
* Calostigma (African dogbane)
* Himatanthus (American dogbane)
* Plumeria (frangipani)
* Rhizocarpus (rubber vine)

The Rhizocarpeae tribe is of economic importance due to the presence of several species that are used as sources of natural rubber, such as Hevea brasiliensis and Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco. Additionally, some species in the tribe have been traditionally used in herbal medicine for their supposed medicinal properties.