Brasenia schreberi
Brasenia schreberi, commonly known as water shield, is a distinctive aquatic perennial native to North American wetlands. Characterized by its unique, kidney-shaped floating leaves and bright red submerged flowers, this plant plays a vital role in freshwater ecosystems, providing essential habitat and stabilizing sediments within slow-moving waters.
- Scientific name: Brasenia schreberi
- Family: Cabombaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Nymphaeaales, falling into the family Cabombaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by its placement in the genus Brasenia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Nymphaeales | WCVP |
| Family | Cabombaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Brasenia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Brasenia schreberi, is recognized by various common names depending on the language and region. In Korean, it is called 순채 (sunchae), while in Japanese, it is referred to as ジュンサイ (junsai). In Chinese, the plant is commonly known as 莼菜, which is used in both simplified (zh-hans) and traditional (zh) contexts, as well as 蒓菜 (zh-hant) in traditional Chinese characters.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ko | 순채 | Wikidata |
| ja | ジュンサイ | Wikidata |
| zh | 莼菜 | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 莼菜 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 蒓菜 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 蓴 | Wikidata |
| wuu | 蓴菜 | Wikidata |
| fa | براسنیا | Wikidata |
| pt | Brasenia | Wikidata |
| pl | płoczyniec | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse range of locations across the African continent. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is specifically noted in Nigeria. Moving toward the center of the continent, it can be found throughout West-Central Tropical Africa, including Burundi, Cameroon, and the DR Congo. Additionally, the species extends its reach into Northeast Tropical Africa within Ethiopia. Together, these regions define the primary geographical distribution of Brasenia schreberi.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Nigeria | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Burundi | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Cameroon | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Uganda | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Angola | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Zambia | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Bryonia or watershield, is characterized by its unique aquatic morphology, particularly in its specialized leaves. These floating foliage structures are heart-shaped and provide a broad surface area for photosynthesis while submerged in shallow waters. Within the tissues of the plant, a significant amount of mucilage is produced, a thick, gelatinous substance that serves to maintain hydration and may hold various bioactive properties used in traditional medicinal applications.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| mucilage | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Brasenia schreberi has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include ethyl gallate, gallic acid, hypolaetin-7-O-glucoside, methyl gallate.
- Total chemicals
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| ethyl gallate | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gallic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hypolaetin-7-O-glucoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| methyl gallate | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Brasenia schreberi has 2 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antioxidant.
- Total activities
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 2
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Brasenia schreberi has 1 reported medicinal uses identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antioxidant.
- Total uses
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |