Greater Burnet
Acaena magellanica · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Sparse (1 studies) · ★☆☆☆☆
Greater Burnet, scientifically known as Acaena magellanica, is a resilient perennial herb native to specific coastal and subantarctic regions. Renowned for its delicate, fine-textured foliage and small, inconspicuous flowers, this plant is valued in traditional ethnobotany for its potential medicinal properties and its ability to thrive in harsh environments.
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native range
- Southern America
- Parts used
- Not available
- Common names
- Greater Burnet · Prickly-Burr
- Scientific synonyms
- Ancistrum Adscendens · Acaena Magellanica Subsp. Laevigata · 101 more
Names and Synonyms
Common Names
- Greater Burnet
- Prickly-burr
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Acaena magellanicaSynonyms
- Ancistrum adscendens
- Acaena magellanica subsp. laevigata
- Acaena magellanica var. laevigata
- Acaena magellanica var. venulosa
- Acaena magellanica subsp. venulosa
- Acaena sericascens
- Acaena sericascens var. novemjuga
- Acaena sericascens var. sexjuga
- Acaena sericascens var. tenuibracteolata
- Acaena plioglochin
- Acaena rubescens
- Acaena coxi
- Acaena petiolulata
- Acaena chamacaena
- Acaena closiana
- Acaena colchaguensis
- Acaena compacta
- Acaena calvivagina
- Acaena canescens
- Acaena acroglochin
- Acaena alboffii
- Acaena acutifida
- Acaena adscendens var. pilosiscapa
- Acaena adscendens var. semperpilosa
- Acaena adscendens var. utrinqueglabrescens
- Acaena affinis
- Acaena basibullata
- Acaena cadilla
- Acaena novemdentata
- Acaena nudicaulis
- Acaena obtusiloba
- Acaena oligoglochin
- Acaena oligoglochin var. dolichoglochin
- Acaena oligomera
- Acaena ovalifolia var. cadilla
- Acaena subflaccida
- Acaena longistipula
- Acaena longisepala
- Acaena longiaristata
- Acaena krausei var. massonandra
- Acaena krausei var. meionandra
- Acaena krausei subvar. pilosior
- Acaena laevigata
- Acaena laevigata var. venulosa
- Acaena krausei
- Acaena krausei subvar. glabratula
- Acaena ischnostemon
- Acaena macropoda
- Acaena macrostemon var. basipilosa
- Acaena macrostemon subsp. closiana
- Acaena macrostemon subsp. latisepala
- Acaena macrostemon subsp. longiaristata
- Acaena macrostemon subsp. longiplumosa
- Acaena macrostemon subsp. spectabilis
- Acaena macrostemon var. supraconica
- Acaena magellanica var. glabrescens
- Acaena magellanica subsp. grandiscapa
- Acaena magellanica subsp. pygmaea
- Acaena magellanica f. robusta
- Acaena magellanica var. subtuspilosa
- Acaena cadilla f. epistemonocoma
- Acaena cadilla f. pusilla
- Acaena brachyglochin
- Acaena adscendens var. glabriscapa
- Acaena adscendens var. incisa
- Acaena adscendens var. luxurians
- Acaena adscendens var. macrochaeta
- Acaena adscendens var. majuscula
- Acaena adscendens var. minuscula
- Ancistrum magellanicum
- Ancistrum magellanicum var. humile
- Ancistrum humile
- Ancistrum laevigatum
- Acaena insularis
- Acaena hirta
- Acaena humilis
- Acaena grahamiana
- Acaena grandistipula
- Acaena grossifolia
- Acaena glandulifera
- Acaena glandulifera subsp. nordenskjoeldii
- Acaena glaucella
- Acaena floribunda
- Acaena exaltata
- Acaena depauperata
- Acaena glaucophylla
- Acaena macrophyes
- Acaena macrostemon
- Acaena macrostemon subsp. barbaticupula
- Acaena macrostemon subsp. pachystigma
- Acaena magellanica var. pubescens
- Acaena molliuscula
- Acaena oligodonta
- Acaena neglecta
- Acaena subtusvillosula
- Acaena tomentella
- Acaena transitoria
- Acaena trifida var. brachyphylla
- Acaena triglochin
- Acaena venulosa
- Acaena adscendens
- Acaena adscendens subsp. cardiostemon
- Acaena adscendens subsp. georgiae-australis
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Cadillo
German:
- Magellanen-Stachelnüsschen
- Magellan-Stachelnüsschen
Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Rosales and the family Rosaceae, it is classified under the genus Acaena. Specifically, the species is identified as Acaena magellanica.
| Rank | Classification |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Streptophyta |
| Class | Equisetopsida |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae |
| Order | Rosales |
| Family | Rosaceae |
| Genus | Acaena |
Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)
Distribution
This plant exhibits a widespread presence across the southern regions of South America. Its distribution spans the northern and central parts of Chile, reaching all the way down to the southern coast. In Argentina, it is found in both the northwest territories and the southernmost provinces. This specific pattern shows that the species thrives in various climates within the southern cone. Consequently, its geographical range covers a significant portion of the southern tip of the continent.
| Region | Area |
|---|---|
| Southern South America | Argentina South |
| Southern South America | Argentina Northwest |
| Southern South America | Chile Central |
| Southern South America | Chile North |
| Southern South America | Chile South |
| Subantarctic Islands | Amsterdam-St.Paul Is. |
| Subantarctic Islands | Crozet Is. |
| Subantarctic Islands | Falkland Is. |
| Subantarctic Islands | Heard-McDonald Is. |
| Subantarctic Islands | Kerguelen |
Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)
Botanical Identification
Ecology
The ecology of Acaena magellanica is characterized by its ability to thrive across a diverse altitudinal gradient, showcasing significant adaptability to varying environmental conditions. This species is found inhabiting a wide elevational range, stretching from as low as 100 m AMSL to heights reaching up to 3500 m AMSL. This expansive distribution allows the plant to occupy various ecological niches, from lower-altitude temperate zones to high-altitude alpine or subantarctic environments. Such a broad vertical range suggests a high tolerance for fluctuating temperatures and varying levels of atmospheric pressure, enabling it to persist in diverse habitats ranging from moist ground covers to more rugged, high-elevation terrains.
- Elevational range max:
- 3500 m AMSL
- Elevational range min:
- 100 m AMSL
Life history
The life history of Acaena magellanica is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons in its native habitats. As a perennial species, it avoids the complete senescence seen in annuals, instead focusing on long-term survival and the establishment of robust root systems that support repeated reproductive efforts over time. This life strategy enables the plant to endure environmental fluctuations, often occupying niches in subantarctic or alpine regions where seasonal stability may be limited. Through its perennial nature, Acaena magellanica can accumulate biomass over several years, contributing to its ability to colonize and maintain its presence within its ecological community.
- Lifecycle :
- perennial
Morphology
The morphology of Acaena magellanica is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically functioning as a forb. It exhibits a self-supporting structure rather than acting as an obligatory or facultative climber, such as a liana or vine. In terms of its ecological niche and habitat positioning, the plant is terrestrial, though its environmental adaptability allows it to occupy aquatic, semiaquatic, or terrestrial habitats. Furthermore, it is an independent organism, not functioning as a parasite, and it maintains a terrestrial habit rather than acting as an epiphyte.
- Aquatic :
- terrestrial
- Climber :
- self-supporting
- Epiphyte :
- terrestrial
- Growth form :
- herb
- Parasite :
- independent
- Woodiness :
- non-woody
Physiology
The physiology of Acaena magellanica is characterized by a metabolic framework centered around the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a trait common among many temperate and subantarctic species. Under this pathway, the plant utilizes the enzyme Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into a three-carbon compound during the Calvin cycle. This specific photosynthetic strategy dictates the plant's resource management, particularly its water-use efficiency and gas exchange mechanisms, as it relies on keeping stomata open for CO2 uptake, which inherently increases transpiration rates. The physiological performance of its C3 metabolism is highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations and light intensity, driving the plant's adaptive responses to its specific environmental niche.
- Photosynthetic pathway :
- C3
Reproduction
The reproduction of Acaeana magellanica involves both sexual and asexual mechanisms, with the sexual reproduction process being characterized as dioecious. The plant produces dry fruits containing seeds that exhibit highly consistent physical dimensions, with a recorded seed volume of 1.3 mm³ (representing both the minimum, maximum, and mean values). These seeds are remarkably uniform in mass, maintaining a consistent weight of 0.00144 g across the minimum, maximum, and mean measurements. Regarding the dispersal of its offspring, the plant utilizes a zoochorous dispersal syndrome, relying on animals to facilitate the movement of its seeds.
- Dispersal syndrome :
- zoochorous
- Fruit dryness :
- dry
- Reproduction asexual :
- present
- Reproduction sexual :
- dioecious
- Seed mass mean:
- 0.00144 g
- Seed volume max:
- 1.3 mm³
Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)
Activities
Acaena magellanica has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant.
| Activity | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Antioxidant
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |