Named for the dog, Cerberus of Greek mythology, alluding to the poisonous qualities of the plant.

Shrubs or small trees, evergreen; latex white. Stems woody, without spines. Leaves spirally arranged on stems, clustered at stem apices, stalked; blade well developed; colleters absent at base. Inflorescence terminal, cymose. Flowers scented, stalked. Corolla salver-shaped; tube cylindrical, swollen about stamens and slightly constricted above them; lobes convolute in bud, overlapping to the left. Corolline corona present above anthers. Stamens enclosed, attached near top of tube, not sticking to style head. Disk absent. Fruit drupaceous, of separate carpels. Seed 1 per locule, flattened, elliptic or oblong, sometimes narrowly winged, without hair tufts.

One species is occasionally grown by rainforest plant enthusiasts.

Frost-sensitive.

Seeds.

Leaves spirally arranged on stems; fruits drupaceous, of separate carpels.

7 species in Madagascar, some islands of the Indian Ocean, Asia, Malesia, Melanesia and N Australia (4 species).

Forster (1992e, 1996a).

Source: Forster, P. (2002). Apocynaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.