glory-bower

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• glory-bower
• Chinese Glorybower

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Clerodendrum chinense var. simplex
• Agricolaea fragrans
• Volkmannia japonica
• Clerodendrum fragrans f. corymbosum
• Volkameria fragrans
• Clerodendrum fragrans f. pleniflorum
• Clerodendrum japonicum var. pleniflorum
• Clerodendrum philippinum f. corymbosum
• Clerodendrum fragrans
• Ovieda fragrans
• Clerodendrum fragrans var. multiplex
• Clerodendrum fragrans var. pleniflorum
• Clerodendrum macradenium
• Clerodendrum lasiocephalum
• Clerodendrum philippinum
• Clerodendrum philippinum f. multiplex
• Clerodendrum philippinum f. pleniflorum
• Clerodendrum philippinum var. simplex
• Clerodendrum philippinum f. subfertile
• Clerodendrum riedelii
• Clerodendrum roseum
• Cryptanthus chinensis
• Clerodendrum chinense var. hamrense
• Viburnum deltoideum

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 Lamiales and family Lamiaceae, it is specifically classified under the genus Clerodendrum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several tropical and oceanic regions. In West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found around the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Its presence extends to East Tropical Africa within the borders of Tanzania and into South Tropical Africa in Mozambique. Additionally, it is located in the Middle Atlantic Ocean on Ascension Island. Finally, the species inhabits the Western Indian Ocean, specifically within the Seychelles.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Clerodendrum chinense is characterized by its ability to thrive across a broad altitudinal spectrum, ranging from sea level up to an elevation of 3000 m AMSL. This wide elevational range suggests a high degree of ecological plasticity, allowing the species to colonize diverse habitats from lowland tropical environments to higher-altitude montane zones. It typically inhabits moist, shaded environments such as forest edges, thickets, and disturbed areas where humidity is relatively high and soil moisture is consistent. Its distribution within these varying elevations indicates an adaptability to different temperature regimes and atmospheric pressures, making it a resilient component of the understory or scrubland vegetation in its native subtropical and tropical ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

3000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Clerodendrum chinense is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth strategy, it functions as a phanerophyte, maintaining its stem buds well above the ground level, while it can also exhibit characteristics of a chamaephyte depending on the specific environmental conditions and the height of its visible vegetation.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Clerodendrum chinense is characterized by a primarily terrestrial growth habit, functioning as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies. It manifests as a self-supporting shrub, exhibiting a variable degree of woodiness in its structure. While its growth form is distinctly that of a shrub rather than a climber, liana, or vine, it maintains a robust, self-supporting stature. The plant does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, remaining strictly terrestrial throughout its life cycle, and it thrives in non-aquatic environments, occupying terrestrial niches rather than aquatic or semiaquatic habitats.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

variable

Physiology

The physiology of Clerodendrum chinense is characterized by its metabolic processes and structural adaptations suited for its environmental niche. As a member of the Lamiaceae family, its carbon assimilation is governed by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which involves the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide into a three-carbon compound during the Calvin cycle. This pathway dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and gas exchange dynamics, as it relies on the enzyme RuBisCO to catalyze the initial carboxylation step. The physiological regulation of its stomatal conductance plays a critical role in balancing CO2 uptake for photosynthesis against the risks of transpiration-induced water loss. Furthermore, its metabolic profile includes the synthesis of various bioactive secondary metabolites, which are integrated into its physiological defense mechanisms to mitigate oxidative stress and herbivory.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Clerodendrum chinense has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Abscisic acid (ABA), Flavonoid.

Abscisic acid (ABA)

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Flavonoid

1. Genes & genomics