Catunaregam nilotica

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Randia nilotica
• Xeromphis nilotica
• Lachnosiphonium niloticum

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Gentianaales, it is classified under the family Rubiaceae. It is specifically identified by its genus, Catunaregam, and its species name, nilotica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad distribution across several key regions of the African continent. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is documented in both Guinea and Nigeria. Moving into West-Central Tropical Africa, the species can be found in the Central African Republic and Cameroon. Additionally, its range extends into Northeast Tropical Africa, specifically within the borders of Chad. Together, these locations highlight the diverse ecological spread of Catunarega nilotica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Catunaregam nilotica is characterized by its presence in diverse and specialized vegetation types, primarily thriving within wooded grassland, coastal bushland, and palm woodland environments. These habitats suggest a preference for transitional zones where various ecological niches intersect, allowing the species to adapt to the unique soil compositions and moisture levels found in both inland grassy expanses and maritime-influenced shrublands. By inhabiting these distinct landscape mosaics, the plant occupies specific ecological roles that link the structural complexity of wooded areas with the more open dynamics of grasslands and the specialized conditions of coastal ecosystems.

Habitat :

wooded grassland, coastal bushland, palm woodland

Life history

The life history of Catunaregam nilotica is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural life form, it exhibits characteristics of both phanerophytes and nanophanerophytes, indicating its ability to maintain its photosynthetic organs above the ground level through varying stages of its development.

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Catunaregam nilotica is characterized by a woody structure that exhibits a dual growth form, manifesting as both a tree and a shrub. The plant typically reaches a mean height of approximately 2 meters. It is a terrestrial species, functioning as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte. In terms of its structural habit, it is classified as self-supporting, meaning it does not function as a liana or a vine, but maintains its own upright posture.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

2 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Catunarnega nilotica is fundamentally characterized by its utilization of the C3 photosynthetic pathway, a mechanism wherein the initial fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide occurs via the enzyme RuBisCO to form a three-carbon compound. This metabolic process dictates the plant's carbon assimilation efficiency and its specific adaptations to its environmental niche, influencing its water-use efficiency and gas exchange patterns. As a C3 plant, its physiological activity is closely tied to light availability and temperature fluctuations, as the pathway is subject to photorespiration when stomatal conductance decreases under high-temperature or water-limited conditions. This metabolic framework governs the plant's energy budget, driving the synthesis of carbohydrates that support its growth, reproductive development, and the production of secondary metabolites essential to its biological functions.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Catunarega nilotica is centered around the production of specialized seeds that exhibit a high degree of uniformity in their physical characteristics. Quantitative analysis of the reproductive output reveals that the seeds are remarkably consistent in size and weight, with a recorded seed mass mean of 0.02037 g. This consistency is further evidenced by the fact that both the maximum and minimum measured seed mass values are identical at 0.02037 g, indicating a negligible variance in the mass of the seeds produced during the reproductive cycle. Such precise uniformity in seed mass is a critical trait for the species' dispersal and germination success within its ecological niche.

Seed mass mean:

0.02037 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Catunaregam nilotica has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root.

Root

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chemicals

Catunaregam nilotica has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Saponins, Scopolin, Terpenes, coumarin.

Flavonoids

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Saponins

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Scopolin

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Terpenes

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

coumarin

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

scopoletin

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Activities

Catunaregam nilotica has 1 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antinociceptive.

Antinociceptive

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Conditions

Catunaregam nilotica has 3 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include diarrhea, inflammation, snakebite.

Diarrhea

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Inflammation

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Snakebite

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Preparations

Catunaregam nilotica has 4 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include ethyl acetate, methanol extract, n-hexane, standardised aqueous extract.

Ethyl acetate

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Methanol extract

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

N-hexane

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Standardised aqueous extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology