# Swallow-wort

*Vincetoxicum hirundinaria*

The name Vincetoxicum means 'conqueror of poison,' though it is ironically toxic; it was once used in folk medicine as a dubious antidote for snakebites.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Gentianales › Apocynaceae › Vincetoxicum
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Dry, calcareous grasslands, rocky slopes, and light open forests.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- **Range:** Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
- **Size:** 30 to 120 cm tall
- **Lifespan:** Perennial (5-15 years)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss due to intensive agriculture and urban expansion.
- **Safe to approach?:** Dangerous if ingested. This plant contains vincetoxin, which can cause severe vomiting and affect heart rate. The milky sap can be a skin irritant; wash skin thoroughly if contact occurs. Do not consume and keep away from pets.

## About

Vincetoxicum hirundinaria , commonly named white swallow-wort , is a long-lived herbaceous perennial of the genus Vincetoxicum in the family Apocynaceae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/f9294afb-11b2-4b77-a1ce-091c8ac494dc
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/498350
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincetoxicum hirundinaria
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/19800425/medium.jpg (Klaus Wehrlin, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.