Blumea riparia

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Eupatorium reflexum
• Leveillea riparia
• Blumea riparia f. angustifolia
• Blumea chinensis var. riparia
• Conyza longissima
• Conyza serici-vestita

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Its specific taxonomic designation is within the genus Blumea, where it is known as Blumea riparia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread presence across several key regions in East and South Asia. Within China, its distribution spans from the South-Central provinces to the Southeast coastal areas. It can also be found growing on the tropical island of Hainan. In Eastern Asia, the species is documented occurring in Taiwan. Finally, its range extends into the Indian Subcontinent, specifically within the Assam region.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Blumea riparia is characterized by its preference for specific montane environments, typically flourishing within an elevational range spanning from 1200 m to a maximum of 2200 m AMSL. This species is most commonly found occupying niches within dense secondary shrublands and rudeeral vegetation, where it thrives in disturbed or regenerating plant communities.

Elevational range max:

2200 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

1200 m AMSL

Habitat :

dense secondary shrub and ruderal vegetation

Life history

The life history of Blumea riparia is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons rather than completing its cycle in a single year. Throughout its existence, it maintains an evergreen habit, retaining its foliage continuously rather than shedding leaves seasonally. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and consistent green canopy enables the species to maintain stable ecological presence in its typical habitats.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Blumea riparia is characterized by a growth form that can be classified as both a shrub and a herb, depending on its developmental stage and environmental conditions. The plant typically reaches a mean height of 1.5 m and is predominantly non-woody in its structure. It functions as a self-supporting organism, lacking the climbing habits of lianas or vines, and maintains a terrestrial habit rather than being aquatic or epiphytic.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Growth form :

herb

Plant height mean:

1.5 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Blumea riparia is characterized by specific morphological dimensions and nutrient acquisition strategies. The plant's foliage exhibits significant variation in size, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 5 cm to a maximum of 8 cm, resulting in an average leaf length of 6.5 cm. Correspondingly, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 2 cm and a maximum of 3.5 cm, maintaining a mean width of 2.75 cm. In terms of its metabolic nitrogen acquisition, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the uptake of nitrogen from the soil rather than through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing processes.

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf length mean:

6.5 cm

Leaf length min:

5 cm

Leaf width max:

3.5 cm

Leaf width mean:

2.75 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Blumea riparia is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily driven by insect vectors to facilitate successful fertilization. This reliance on biotic agents suggests a specialized relationship with local fauna to ensure the transfer of pollen between flowers. Following successful pollination, the plant produces small fruits that exhibit a highly uniform size distribution; the fruit length is remarkably consistent, with a minimum, mean, and maximum length all measured at 0.15 cm. This precision in fruit dimension indicates a stabilized developmental process during the seed-bearing stage of its reproductive cycle.

Fruit length max:

0.15 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Blumea riparia has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include protocatechuic acid.

protocatechuic acid

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

Activities

Blumea riparia has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic.

Cytotoxic

1. Fitoterapia