climbing onion

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• climbing-onion
• climbing-potato
• zulu-potato
• Climbing Onion
• Sea Onion

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Schizobasopsis volubilis
• Aloe volubilis
• Ophiobostryx volubilis

Regional and Traditional Names

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 Asparagales, it is a member of the Asparagaceae family. Its scientific classification concludes with the genus Bowiea, specifically identified as Bowiea volubilis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is native to several regions within the African continent. In East Tropical Africa, its distribution includes the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It can also be found further south across the continent. Specifically, it is located in South Tropical Africa within the nation of Angola. Additionally, its range extends to include Malawi in the southern region.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Bowiea volubilis is characterized by its adaptation to diverse montane and sub-montane environments across its native range. This species occupies a significant altitudinal gradient, thriving in habitats that span from a minimum elevation of 365 m AMSL to a maximum elevation of 2135 m AMSL. Within this wide elevational range, the plant typically inhabits rocky outcrops, scrublands, and open woodland ecosystems where it can find suitable substrates for its growth. Its ability to persist across such a broad vertical distribution suggests a high degree of ecological plasticity, allowing it to navigate varying temperature regimes and moisture availability associated with different mountain profiles.

Elevational range max:

2135 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

365 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Bowiea volubilis is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. It functions as a geophyte, storing its vital resources within specialized underground structures that enable it to survive periods of dormancy. Due to this underground storage strategy, it is also classified as a cryptophyte, ensuring its survival against environmental stressors by keeping its regenerative parts protected beneath the soil surface.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Bowiea volubilis is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. It functions as an obligatory climber, though it can exhibit self-supporting tendencies, and it exists as an independent organism rather than a parasite or epiphyte. As a terrestrial species, its physical dimensions vary significantly depending on its environment and structural support, with a plant height ranging from a minimum of 0.2 m to a maximum of 10 m, maintaining an average height of approximately 1.5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

10 m

Plant height mean:

1.5 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Bowiea volubilis is characterized by specialized adaptations to arid environments, most notably through its succulent, bulbous base which serves as a primary water storage organ. The metabolic processes of the plant are governed by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates how it fixes carbon dioxide during the light-dependent reactions. To mitigate the risks of transpiration and desiccation inherent to its habitat, the plant exhibits a deciduous growth pattern, entering a period of physiological dormancy during extreme dry seasons to conserve moisture. Its physiological activity is closely tied to seasonal moisture availability, where the succulent bulb maintains cellular turgidity and nutrient reserves to support rapid vegetative growth and leaf emergence immediately following rainfall.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Bowiea volubilis has 11 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Cardiac Glycosides, Bovochrysoid, Bovocryptoside, Bovopurpuroside, Bovoruboside.

Cardiac Glycosides

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Bovochrysoid

1. Dr. Duke

Bovocryptoside

1. Dr. Duke

Bovopurpuroside

1. Dr. Duke

Bovoruboside

1. Dr. Duke

Bovoside A

1. Dr. Duke

Glucobovoside A

1. Dr. Duke

Hellebrigenin

1. Dr. Duke

Saponins

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Scilliglaucosidin

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Bowiea volubilis has 8 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Anticarcinomic, Antifungal, Antimicrobial.

Antibacterial

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticarcinomic

1. Dr. Duke

Antifungal

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Antimicrobial

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antioxidant

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Cardiac

1. Dr. Duke

Cytotoxic

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Conditions

Bowiea volubilis has 2 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include coughs, respiratory infections.

Coughs

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Respiratory infections

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Bowiea volubilis has 3 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include bulb extracts, crude aqueous extracts, different solvent extracts from the bulbs.

Bulb extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Crude aqueous extracts

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Different solvent extracts from the bulbs

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology