Edible Apocynaceae: Phylogeny, biogeography, conservation and pollination insights from a global synthesis

Abstract We provide the first global review of edibility in the large, diverse and evolutionarily complex pantropical plant family Apocynaceae. Our survey reveals edible representatives in all major lineages and including all plant parts, with multivariate analyses illustrating the global differences in phylogenetic, geographic and use preferences. A surprising 440 edible species are listed, although comparatively, this is a significant general under‐representation of the family as a human food source. This is likely, at least in part, because the family is better known for its vast array of bioactive defense compounds and wide use in traditional medicine than as a food source. Using IUCN Red List data, we show that edible Apocynaceae are generally less threatened than the family overall, although most species remain unevaluated. At the same time, many taxa depend on pollinators to produce edible fruit and seeds, yet pollination data are missing for most species, highlighting linked knowledge gaps relevant to conservation and future crop development. In addition, we illustrate these patterns with four case studies of edible Apocynaceae from North America, South America, and China. In a phylogenetic analysis the edible Chinese species Dregea sinensis grouped with neither other species of Dregea nor with any of its closer related genera. Therefore, a new genus, Kushengia , is established and the transfer of D. sinensis and D. yunnanensis , as well as D. corrugata , which is here treated as a variety, is made, and all necessary new combinations are provided.