Castela emoryi

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution across the arid regions of North America. In the Southwestern United States, it can be found growing within the states of Arizona and California. Its range also extends significantly southward into the country of Mexico. Within Mexico, the species is specifically located in the Northeast and Northwest regions. Consequently, the habitat of Castela emoryi is concentrated in these particular desert environments.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Castela emoryi is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment through multiple growing seasons. As a long-lived plant, it avoids the rapid turnover associated with annuals or biennials, instead focusing on establishing a stable presence within its ecological niche. This perennial nature enables the plant to undergo seasonal cycles of growth, flowering, and dormancy, gradually accumulating biomass and strengthening its structural integrity over time. Through this extended lifecycle, the plant can navigate fluctuating environmental conditions, ensuring long-term survival and repeated reproductive opportunities across various years.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Castela emoryi is characterized by a woody structure that manifests in diverse growth forms, primarily existing as both a tree and a shrub. This species exhibits a significant vertical presence, reaching an average plant height of approximately 3.99 m. In terms of its structural habit, the plant is classified as self-supporting, maintaining its upright posture without the need for external climbing structures.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Plant height mean:

3.99 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Castela emoryi is characterized by its reliance on the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a mechanism in which carbon fixation occurs through the direct carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate by the enzyme RuBisCO. This process involves the standard Calvin cycle, where atmospheric CO2 is integrated into organic molecules within the mesophyll cells without the specialized anatomical adaptations seen in C4 or CAM species. As a C3 plant, its metabolic efficiency is highly dependent on environmental conditions, particularly temperature and moisture availability, as the enzyme RuBisCO is susceptible to photorespiration when stomatal conductance decreases under heat or water stress. Consequently, the plant's gas exchange and energy assimilation processes are tightly regulated by its ability to maintain internal CO2 concentrations while balancing transpirational water loss.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Castela emoeryi is characterized by a specialized dispersal strategy and specific seed morphological traits. The plant utilizes an autochorous dispersal syndrome, indicating that it relies on internal mechanisms for seed release. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a relatively consistent mass, with a recorded mean seed mass of approximately 0.0345893335 g. The variation in seed size is minimal, ranging from a minimum mass of 0.029606 g to a maximum mass of 0.03867 g, suggesting a highly regulated reproductive output aimed at maintaining specific seed dimensions for successful establishment.

Dispersal syndrome :

autochorous

Seed mass max:

0.03867 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0345893335 g

Seed mass min:

0.029606 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Castela emoryi has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Betulin.

Betulin

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Castela emoryi has 12 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include AntiHIV, Anticarcinomic, Antifeedant, Antiflu, Antiinflammatory.

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

Anticarcinomic

1. Dr. Duke

Antifeedant

1. Dr. Duke

Antiflu

1. Dr. Duke

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke

Aphidifuge

1. Dr. Duke

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke

Hypolipemic

1. Dr. Duke