Shrubby Baeckea

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Shrubby Baeckea
• Weeping Baeckea
• Weeping Myrtle
• baeckea

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Baeckea ericoides
• Baeckea chinensis
• Drosodendron rosmarinus
• Baeckea frutescens var. brachyphylla
• Cedrela rosmarinus
• Baeckea cumingiana
• Baeckea sinensis
• Baeckea stenophylla
• Baeckea sumatrana
• Neuhofia rosmarinifolia

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, specifically within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified under the order Myrtales and the family Myrtaceae. Ultimately, it is identified by the genus Baeckea, which includes the species Baeckea frutescens.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across parts of East and Southeast Asia. In China, its presence is noted in the Hainan province as well as throughout the China Southeast region. Moving into the Indo-China peninsula, the species can be found growing in Cambodia. It also maintains a population within the borders of Laos. Finally, its range extends into Myanmar, completing its regional distribution.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Baeckea frutescens is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, ensuring its long-term presence within its ecological niche. Depending on the specific environmental conditions and growth stage, its structural classification can be observed as both a phanerophyte and a nanophanerophyte, reflecting its capacity to maintain woody stems above the ground level. Throughout its existence, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, retaining its foliage continuously rather than undergoing a seasonal shedding process.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Baeckea frutescens is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, exhibiting a self-supporting structure rather than acting as a climber or vine. As a terrestrial plant, it lives independently without acting as a parasite or an epiphyte. The species typically achieves a plant height ranging from a maximum of 6 meters up to a mean height of 8 meters, depending on environmental conditions.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

6 m

Plant height mean:

8 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Baeckea frutescens is characterized by specific morphological dimensions and metabolic processes that define its survival strategy. The plant utilizes a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation efficiency and adaptation to its environmental niche. Its foliar morphology is notably diminutive, featuring leaves with a mean length of 0.75 cm, ranging from a minimum of 0.4 cm to a maximum of 1 cm. These leaves are extremely slender, exhibiting a maximum width of only 0.05 cm. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on external soil nutrients rather than symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria to meet its nitrogen requirements.

Leaf length max:

1 cm

Leaf length mean:

0.75 cm

Leaf length min:

0.4 cm

Leaf width max:

0.05 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Baeckea frutescens is characterized by the production of small, specialized fruit structures classified as capsules. These capsules are consistently sized, with a measured fruit length that remains uniform at approximately 0.2 cm, showing no variation between the minimum, mean, and maximum recorded lengths. The fruit is dehiscence-based, meaning it is a dehiscence-type structure that opens at maturity to release its contents. The seeds produced within these capsules exhibit significant variability in mass; the average seed mass is approximately 0.004095 g, though individual seeds can range from a minimum of 0.00001 g to a maximum of 0.00818 g.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Fruit length max:

0.2 cm

Fruit type :

capsule

Seed mass max:

0.00818 g

Seed mass mean:

0.004095 g

Seed mass min:

1e-05 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Baeckea frutescens has 1 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
2. Phytochemistry
3. Natural products and bioprospecting

Chemicals

Baeckea frutescens has 8 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 5-Hydroxy-2-isopropyl-7-methoxychromone, BF-1, BF-2, Chromones, Flavonoids.

5-Hydroxy-2-isopropyl-7-methoxychromone

1. Journal of natural products

BF-1

1. Phytochemistry

BF-2

1. Phytochemistry

Chromones

1. Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources

Flavonoids

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Linalool

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Sesquiterpenes

1. Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources

compound 8

1. Journal of natural products

Activities

Baeckea frutescens has 3 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antipyretic, Diuretic.

Antibacterial

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Antipyretic

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Diuretic

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Medicinal Uses

Baeckea frutescens has 7 reported medicinal uses identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, antipyretic.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations