bastard waterwood

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• bastard waterwood

Scientific Names

Accepted name

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 Malpighiales, it is classified under the family Rhizophoraceae and the genus Cassipourea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily found across several distinct regions within the Caribbean and Northern South America. Its distribution begins in the Caribbean, where it is specifically recorded in Trinidad and Tobago. Moving into the mainland, the species occupies significant territories throughout the Guianas, including French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname. Furthermore, its presence extends into the northern reaches of Venezuela. Together, these locations define the specific geographical range of Cassipourea guianenensis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Cassipourea guianenis is characterized by its preference for forest habitats, where it plays a role within the complex biological structure of the ecosystem. This species exhibits a broad altitudinal distribution, allowing it to inhabit diverse topographical zones. It can be found at elevations as low as 2 m AMSL, extending upward through various gradients to reach a maximum elevation of 1650 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

1650 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

2 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest

Life history

The life history of Cassipourea guianensis is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist in its environment over many years rather than completing its cycle in a single season. As a long-lived woody species, it establishes a stable presence within its ecosystem, investing energy into structural longevity and sustained reproductive capacity. This perennial nature enables the plant to endure through varying environmental conditions, maintaining its physiological functions and contributing to the continuous stability of its habitat through extended stages of growth and maturation.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Cassipourea guianenis is characterized by a woody structure that exhibits significant variation in growth form, manifesting as both a shrub and a tree. This species is a terrestrial plant, functioning as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. In terms of its stature, it reaches a mean height of approximately 5 m, though it can attain a maximum height of up to 25 m. While it possesses the capacity for vertical development, its climbing habit is classified as self-supporting rather than being an obligatory liana or vine, and it maintains a strictly terrestrial existence rather than acting as an epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

25 m

Plant height mean:

5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Cassipourea guianenis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, utilizing the standard Calvin cycle to fix carbon dioxide through the enzyme RuBisCO during daylight hours. In terms of nutrient acquisition and symbiotic relationships, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized root nodules or symbiotic associations with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, relying instead on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Cassipourea guianenensis is characterized by specific morphological parameters of its seeds, which play a critical role in its dispersal and germination processes. The seeds exhibit a notable degree of variation in size, with recorded seed lengths ranging from a minimum of 1 mm to a maximum of 6 mm, although the mean seed length is documented at 7.6 mm. In terms of weight, the seed mass shows remarkable consistency across observed specimens, with both the minimum and maximum values, as well as the mean seed mass, recorded at 0.06 g. This uniformity in mass suggests a highly stabilized energy investment per seed during the reproductive cycle of the species.

Seed length max:

6 mm

Seed length mean:

7.6 mm

Seed length min:

1 mm

Seed mass mean:

0.06 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Cassipourea guianensis has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include stem.

Stem

1. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Cassipourea guianensis has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Cassipoureamide A, Cassipoureamide B.

Cassipoureamide A

1. Journal of natural products

Cassipoureamide B

1. Journal of natural products