Buekia malaccensis

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Alpinia nutans var. sericea
• Catimbium malaccense
• Buekia malaccensis
• Languas malaccensis
• Maranta malaccensis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Alpinia malaccensis, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Zingiberales and the family Zingiberaceae. It is further identified by the genus Alpinia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical range spanning across several regions of Asia. Within China, it is widely distributed throughout the South-Central and Southeast territories. Additionally, its presence extends into the high-altitude regions of Tibet. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, the species can be found growing in the Assam region. Finally, its natural habitat also includes the country of Bangladesh.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Alpinia malaccensis is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, ensuring its continued presence in its natural habitat through multiple growing seasons. As a member of the cryptophyte group, the plant protects its vital regenerative organs beneath the soil surface, a strategy that allows it to survive unfavorable environmental conditions or seasonal shifts. Furthermore, its specific life form is classified as a geophyte, indicating that it relies on specialized underground storage organs, such as rhizomes, to sustain its metabolic processes and facilitate regrowth.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Alpinia malaccensis is characterized by a growth form classified as a herb, exhibiting a non-woody structure throughout its development. This species is a terrestrial plant, functioning as an independent organism rather than an epiphyte or parasite. It typically reaches a plant height with a mean of approximately 4 m, maintaining a self-supporting stature without the need to act as a liana or vine.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

4 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Alpinia malaccensis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, meaning it utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide during the light-independent reactions, a process typical of most temperate and tropical shade-dwelling species. This metabolic strategy involves the initial carboxylation of CO2 by the enzyme RuBisCO to form a three-carbon compound. In terms of nutrient acquisition and symbiotic relationships, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the specialized root nodules or symbiotic associations with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, relying instead on the uptake of available nitrates and ammonium from the soil substrate.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Alpinia malaccensis is characterized by the development of specialized fruit structures and specific seed dimensions. The fruit is described as having a dual nature in terms of consistency, being characterized as both dry and fleshy. Within these fruits, the seeds are produced with a highly consistent volume; the seed volume exhibits a minimum, maximum, and mean value of exactly 68 mm³, indicating a lack of significant variance in seed size during the reproductive cycle.

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Seed volume max:

68 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Alpinia malaccensis has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Antioxidant.

Antimicrobial

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Antioxidant

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Conditions

Alpinia malaccensis has 3 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include nausea, vomiting, wounds.

Nausea

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Vomiting

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Wounds

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Preparations

Alpinia malaccensis has 2 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include essential oils, extracts.

Essential oils

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry

Extracts

1. Current topics in medicinal chemistry