Yellow Paintflower

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Yellow Paintflower

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Melasma thomsonii
• Melasma sessiliflorum
• Melasma asperrimum
• Melasma dentatum
• Melasma cordatum
• Bartsia scabra
• Glossostylis cordata
• Nigrina sessiliflora
• Alectra sessiliflora var. senegalensis
• Alectra sessiliflora f. barbata
• Alectra barbata
• Hymenospermum dentatum
• Melasma indicum var. monticola
• Alectra asperrima
• Alectra senegalensis
• Starbia madagascariensis
• Rhinanthus scaber
• Alectra senegalensis var. minima
• Alectra senegalensis var. pallescens
• Melasma barbatum
• Alectra sessiliflora var. monticola
• Alectra thomsonii
• Alectra schliebenii
• Alectra trinervis
• Melasma commune
• Alectra moeroensis
• Alectra hundtii
• Alectra ibityensis
• Alectra ledermannii
• Alectra communis
• Alectra congolensis
• Alectra cordata
• Alectra arabica
• Alectra aberdarica
• Gerardia sessiliflora

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Alectra sessiliflora, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Lamiales. Finally, it is a member of the family Orobanchaceae and the genus Alectra.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Alectra sessiliflora, exhibits a specific distribution pattern across the West Tropical Africa region. Its presence is documented within the borders of Benin, where it occupies local ecological niches. The species is also found spanning northward into the territory of Burkina. Furthermore, its geographical range extends to the coastal areas of Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Finally, the plant maintains a consistent distribution within the nation of Ghana.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Alectra sessiliflora is characterized by its distribution across specific altitudinal gradients within its natural habitat. This species typically thrives within an elevational range that begins at a minimum of 1050 m AMSL and extends to a maximum of 2250 m AMSL. This vertical distribution suggests an adaptability to varying montane environmental conditions, where it occupies niche spaces shaped by the temperature and moisture regimes typical of these mid-to-high altitude zones.

Elevational range max:

2250 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

1050 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Alectra sessiliflora is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental sequence from germination to seed production within a single growing season. Functioning as a therophyte, its biological strategy relies on surviving unfavorable conditions through the production of seeds rather than maintaining vegetative structures. As a therophyte, it avoids seasonal stresses by dying off at the end of its cycle, leaving behind seeds that await optimal environmental conditions to restart the process, ensuring its continued presence in its ecological niche through rapid seasonal growth.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Alectra sessiliflora is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. It is a terrestrial plant that functions as a self-supporting organism rather than a climber, liana, or vine. As an obligatory parasite, it lacks the independent structural characteristics of non-parasitic species. The plant exhibits a relatively low stature, with a minimum height of 0.03 m, a mean height of approximately 0.6 m, and a maximum height reaching about 0.9144 m. Its overall habit is strictly terrestrial, showing no epiphytic tendencies.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

obligatory

Plant height max:

0.914411119 m

Plant height mean:

0.6 m

Plant height min:

0.03 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Alectra sessiliflora is characterized by a metabolic framework optimized for rapid growth and adaptation to disturbed or open habitats. Its primary physiological processes involve efficient photosynthesis and nutrient acquisition, though it does not exhibit the specialized symbiotic capabilities found in certain other members of the Fabaceae family. Specifically, regarding its relationship with soil chemistry, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the physiological mechanisms to form symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Rhizobium, to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. Instead, it relies on the uptake of available nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system to support its vegetative development and reproductive cycles. This reliance on soil-available nitrogen dictates its preference for nutrient-rich or disturbed environments where nitrogen mineralization is active.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

Reproduction in Alectra sessiliflora is characterized by the production of highly specialized, minute seeds designed for efficient dispersal. The reproductive cycle culminates in the development of seeds that exhibit extreme uniformity in their physical dimensions. Specifically, the seed mass is remarkably consistent, with a recorded mean mass of 1e-05 g. This level of precision is maintained across the entire seed population, as both the maximum and minimum recorded seed mass values are also exactly 1e-05 g. Such minimal and uniform seed mass suggests a reproductive strategy focused on high-volume seed production, likely facilitating dispersal through wind or water to colonize new environments.

Seed mass mean:

1e-05 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Alectra sessiliflora has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antitumor.

Antibacterial

1. Frontiers in microbiology

Antitumor

1. Frontiers in microbiology