Sabah Snake Grass

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Sabah Snake Grass

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Beloperone fulgida
• Justicia fulgida
• Justicia nutans

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Lamiales and the family Acanthaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is defined by the genus Clinacanthus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. In China, it can be found throughout the South-Central provinces as well as the Southeast. Additionally, its presence is noted on the tropical island of Hainan. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, the species is widely distributed within India. Finally, its range extends across the borders into Bangladesh.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Clinanthus nutans is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons rather than completing its cycle in a single year. As a perennial, it establishes a durable foundation that enables it to undergo cycles of vegetative growth and reproductive flowering over an extended lifespan. This enduring lifecycle allows the plant to adapt to its environment by accumulating resources over time, which supports its ability to produce seeds across different seasonal windows. Depending on environmental stability and resource availability, its growth patterns may exhibit variability, yet its fundamental biological strategy remains centered on long-term survival and repeated reproductive efforts.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Clinacanthus nutans is characterized by its herbaceous growth form, presenting as a non-woody plant. It functions as a self-supporting species rather than an obligatory or facultative climber, maintaining its structural integrity through its own stems. The plant typically reaches an average height of approximately 1 meter.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Plant height mean:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Clinacanthus nutans is characterized by specific morphological dimensions of its foliage and its metabolic relationship with soil nutrients. The leaves exhibit significant variability in size, with a mean length of 8 cm and a minimum length of 5 cm, reaching a maximum length of up to 11 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 1 cm and a maximum of 4 cm, maintaining an average width of 2.5 cm. Regarding its nutrient acquisition processes, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the uptake of available nitrogen from the soil rather than through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Leaf length max:

11 cm

Leaf length mean:

8 cm

Leaf length min:

5 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width mean:

2.5 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Clinacanthus nutans has 2 reported plant parts identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root.

Leaf

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
3. Neuromolecular medicine
4. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
5. Journal of pharmaceutical analysis

Root

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Chemicals

Clinacanthus nutans has 37 reported phytochemicals identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, STIGMASTEROL, Schaftoside, triterpenoids, 1-Linolenoylglycerol.

Flavonoids

1. Pharmaceutical biology
2. Horticulture research
3. International journal of molecular sciences
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

STIGMASTEROL

1. International immunopharmacology
2. Toxicology reports
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Schaftoside

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. International journal of molecular sciences
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

triterpenoids

1. Horticulture research
2. International journal of molecular sciences
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

1-Linolenoylglycerol

1. Toxicology reports
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

1-Monopalmitin

1. Toxicology reports
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Cerebrosides

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
2. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

HEPTADECANOIC ACID

1. Toxicology reports
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Lupeol

1. International immunopharmacology
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

PENTADECANOIC ACID

1. Toxicology reports
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Clinacanthus nutans has 24 reported activities identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antiviral, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antitumor, Anticancer.

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Frontiers in pharmacology
4. Pharmaceutical biology
5. International journal of molecular sciences

Antioxidant

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Biomolecules & therapeutics
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Antimicrobial

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Pharmaceutical biology
3. Biomolecules & therapeutics

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Anticancer

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Fitoterapia

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Analgesic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

Anticarcinomic

1. Dr. Duke

Antidiabetic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Medicinal Uses

Clinacanthus nutans has 39 reported medicinal uses identified across 11 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, viral infections, antiviral, breast cancer, diabetes mellitus.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations