Aletris spicata

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Aletris spicata var. microantha
• Hypoxis spicata
• Hypoxis farinosa

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known as Aletris spicata, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is categorized under the order Dioscoreales and the family Nartheciaceae. Finally, its classification concludes within the genus Aletris.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical range across various regions of East Asia. Within China, its distribution spans from the South-Central areas to the North-Central provinces. Additionally, the species can be found throughout the Southeast part of China. Its presence extends beyond the mainland to include the islands of Japan in Eastern Asia. Finally, the plant is also documented growing within the Korean peninsula.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Aletris spicata is characterized by its specific distribution across varying altitudinal gradients, which dictates its habitat preferences and environmental tolerances. This species thrives within a broad elevational range, spanning from a minimum of 350 m AMSL to a maximum of 2500 m AMSL. Throughout its natural range, the plant maintains a mean elevation of approximately 1425 m AMSL, suggesting a preference for mid-elevation ecosystems that provide the necessary moisture and light conditions required for its development. This altitudinal span allows the species to inhabit diverse ecological niches, adapting to the varying temperature regimes and atmospheric pressures found between lowlands and montane environments.

Elevational range max:

2500 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1425 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

350 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Aletris spicata is characterized by its classification as a perennial herb, specifically functioning as a hemicryptophyte. This life form indicates that its perennating buds are located at or just below the soil surface, protected by the leaf litter or the substrate during unfavorable seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, the plant undergoes seasonal cycles where the above-ground vegetative structures die back, but the plant survives through underground structures that allow for regrowth in subsequent growing seasons. This strategy enables the species to persist in its typical moist, woodland, or meadow habitats, ensuring long-term survival through successive years by utilizing its stored energy within the soil layer to initiate new growth once environmental conditions become favorable.

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Morphology

The morphology of Aletris spicata is characterized by its growth form as a herbaceous plant, manifesting as a non-woody herb that lacks any woody tissue. It is an independent organism, functioning as a non-parasitic species that does not rely on a host for nutrients. In terms of its ecological positioning and structural habit, it is a terrestrial plant, growing directly in the soil rather than as an epiphyte. Furthermore, the plant does not exhibit any climbing tendencies, as it is neither an obligatory, facultative, nor self-supporting climber.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiological architecture of Aletris spicata is characterized by a distinct foliar morphology that plays a crucial role in its vegetative development and photosynthetic capacity. The plant exhibits a significant range in leaf dimensions, with leaf lengths spanning from a minimum of 10 cm to a maximum of 25 cm, maintaining a mean length of approximately 17.5 cm. Complementing this longitudinal growth is a highly specialized narrow blade structure, where leaf widths are constrained between a minimum of 0.3 cm and a maximum of 0.4 cm. This slender, linear leaf configuration suggests a physiological adaptation to optimize light interception while managing transpiration rates within its specific ecological niche.

Leaf length max:

25 cm

Leaf length mean:

17.5 cm

Leaf length min:

10 cm

Leaf width max:

0.4 cm

Leaf width min:

0.3 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Aletris spicata is characterized by its distinct inflorescence and the development of small, specialized fruit structures. The plant produces an inflorescence that varies in size, typically ranging from a minimum length of 0.06 m to a maximum length of 0.3 m. Following successful pollination, the plant develops fruits with specific morphological dimensions. The fruit length displays a range between a minimum of 0.3 cm and a maximum of 0.4 cm, with an average length of approximately 0.35 cm. Similarly, the fruit width is relatively narrow, fluctuating from a minimum of 0.25 cm to a maximum of 0.3 cm, resulting in a mean fruit width of 0.275 cm.

Fruit length max:

0.4 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.35 cm

Fruit length min:

0.3 cm

Fruit width max:

0.3 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.275 cm

Fruit width min:

0.25 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.3 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.06 m

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Aletris spicata has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include (2r,3r)-2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone, 5-HYDROXYMETHYL-FURFURAL, Amentoflavone, Sinapaldehyde, apigenin.

(2r,3r)-2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-7,4'-dimethoxyflavone

1. Natural product research

5-HYDROXYMETHYL-FURFURAL

1. Natural product research

Amentoflavone

1. Natural product research

Sinapaldehyde

1. Natural product research

apigenin

1. Natural product research

p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde

1. Natural product research

Conditions

Aletris spicata has 3 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include asthma, lung inflammation, oxidative stress.

Asthma

1. Biology

Lung inflammation

1. Biology

Oxidative stress

1. Biology