Golden trumpet

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Buttercup
• Yellow Bell
• allamanda
• common trumpetvine
• golden-trumpet
• yellow allamanda

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Allamanda wardleyana
• Allamanda cathartica var. williamsii
• Allamanda hendersonii
• Allamanda latifolia
• Allamanda linnaei
• Allamanda williamsii
• Allamanda aubletii
• Allamanda cathartica var. grandiflora
• Allamanda cathartica var. hendersonii

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and is classified under the class Equisetopsida. It falls into the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Gentianales, specifically being a member of the family Apocynaceae. Within this family, it is categorized under the genus Allamanda.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several key regions of the African continent. In West-Central Tropical Africa, its presence is noted in Gabon as well as throughout the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Moving toward the eastern side of the continent, it can be found within East Tropical Africa, specifically in Tanzania. The species also extends into South Tropical Africa, where it is documented in Angola. Finally, its range continues southward into Zimbabwe, completing its spread across various tropical zones.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Allamanda cathartica is characterized by its significant adaptability across diverse environmental settings, spanning an elevational range from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum of 1900 m AMSL. This species demonstrates a broad ecological plasticity, thriving in a variety of distinct habitats including anthropogenic areas (Área Antrópica), floodplain meadows (Campo de Várzea), and seasonally flooded forests (Floresta de Igapó). Furthermore, it is integrated into complex ecosystems such as ombrophilous forests (Floresta Ombrófila/Pluvial), coastal restinga formations, and the Amazonian savanna (Savana Amazônica), allowing it to colonize both humid tropical forests and more open, disturbed, or seasonally dry landscapes.

Elevational range max:

1900 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Campo de Várzea, Floresta de Igapó, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Restinga, Savana Amazônica

Life history

The life history of Allamanda cathartica is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. It functions as a phanerophyte, utilizing elevated woody stems to support its growth and structure, though it can also be categorized under the nanophanerophyte life form depending on the specific developmental stage or environmental context. Throughout its life cycle, the plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that it retains its foliage year-round to support continuous photosynthetic activity.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Allamanda cathartica is characterized by a woody growth form, typically manifesting as a shrub or a climbing plant. It functions as an obligatory climber, utilizing its structure to ascend, though it can also exhibit self-supporting tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant reaches an average height of approximately 2 meters, with a maximum potential height of up to 3 meters. It is strictly a terrestrial species, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies, such as being a holoepiphyte or hemiepiphyte. Furthermore, the plant is biologically independent, functioning as a non-parasitic organism rather than an obligatory or facultative parasite.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

3 m

Plant height mean:

2 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Allamanda cathartica is characterized by its metabolic processes and structural adaptations suited for tropical environments. As a woody climber, its physiological mechanisms focus on efficient nutrient transport and rapid vegetative growth to facilitate its climbing habit. In terms of water storage and tissue composition, the plant exhibits no succulence, meaning it does not possess specialized thickened tissues for storing large volumes of water, relying instead on consistent environmental moisture and its vascular system to maintain turgor pressure. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria in root nodules required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, thus relying on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil substrate. Its metabolic activity is driven by high photosynthetic rates, supported by its leaf structure, which allows it to thrive in high-light, warm climates.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Allamanda cathartica is characterized by a specific set of biological mechanisms and dispersal strategies. Regarding its pollination and fertilization processes, the plant exhibits a lack of self-fertilization, meaning that self-fertilization is absent, necessitating cross-pollination to ensure genetic diversity. The dispersal of its seeds follows multiple pathways, utilizing an unspecialized dispersal syndrome that encompasses various natural methods such as anemochorous, zoochorous, autochorous, and hydrochorous processes. Additionally, the plant's dispersal is also identified as being anthropochorous, indicating that human activity plays a role in the movement and distribution of its seeds.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Allamanda cathartica has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Chemicals

Allamanda cathartica has 13 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Plumieride, Terpenes, Alcohols, Esters.

Flavonoids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Protoplasma

Plumieride

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP

Terpenes

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Protoplasma

Alcohols

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Esters

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Fatty acids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Isoplumericin

1. Journal of natural products

Pinitol

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Plumericin

1. Journal of natural products

Steroids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Allamanda cathartica has 2 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticonvulsant, Cytotoxic.

Anticonvulsant

1. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP

Cytotoxic

1. Journal of natural products

Conditions

Allamanda cathartica has 4 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Psychiatric diseases, fertility, jaundice, malaria.

Psychiatric diseases

1. Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology : RTP

Fertility

1. The Indian journal of medical research

Jaundice

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Malaria

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Preparations

Allamanda cathartica has 3 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include EtOAc extract, aqueous extracts, plant extract.

Etoac extract

1. Journal of natural products

Aqueous extracts

1. The Indian journal of medical research

Plant extract

1. Chemistry & biodiversity