Assyrian plum

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Assyrian plum
• Clammy cherry
• Indian cherry
• Lasoda
• Sapistan
• Sapistan plum
• Sebesten
• Sebesten plum
• Sudan teak
• Assyrian-plum
• Indian-cherry
• Sudan-teak
• clammy-cherry
• glueberry
• sapistan-tree
• sebastan-tree
• sebesten-plum
• selu
• small cordia

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Lithocardium myxa
• Bourreria glabra
• Cordia evolutior
• Cordia petta-pelioporet
• Cordia scabrifolia
• Quarena indica
• Ehretia glabra
• Argyreia arborea
• Vitex gomphophylla
• Gerascanthus myxus
• Lithocardium fulvosum
• Cordia myxa var. domestica
• Cordia officinalis
• Cordia domestica var. evolutior
• Cordia fulvosa
• Cordia fulvosa var. evolutior
• Sebestena myxa
• Sebestena officinalis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae, it is further organized under the order Boraginales and the family Boraginaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation falls under the genus Cordia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning across several regions in Africa. In Northern Africa, it can be found growing in the countries of Algeria, Egypt, and Libya. Moving toward the western part of the continent, its presence extends into West Tropical Africa. Specifically, it is documented to inhabit the territories of Benin and Burkina. This range highlights the plant's adaptability to different African climates.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Cordia myxa is characterized by its significant adaptability to diverse environmental conditions, allowing it to thrive in a variety of landscapes. It is widely naturalised in coastal regions and various types of bushland, where it integrates into the existing vegetation structures. Beyond its presence in wild or semi-wild settings, the species is frequently cultivated, demonstrating a high tolerance for human-altered environments and managed landscapes. This ability to inhabit both rugged, saline-influenced coastal zones and more stable bushland ecosystems highlights its resilience and capacity to occupy different ecological niches.

Habitat :

naturalised in coastal and other bushland and cultivated

Life history

The life history of Cordia myxa is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive buds are elevated on woody stems well above the ground, a structural adaptation that defines its growth habit. Additionally, the species maintains an evergreen status, retaining its foliage throughout the seasons rather than shedding it seasonally.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Cordia myxa is characterized by its growth form, which typically manifests as a woody tree or shrub. It is a self-supporting plant that does not require climbing structures, functioning as an independent organism rather than a parasite or epiphyte. As a terrestrial species, it thrives in land-based environments rather than aquatic or semiaquatic habitats. In terms of stature, the plant reaches an average height of approximately 12 m, with maximum recorded heights reaching up to 12.19 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

12.19214826 m

Plant height mean:

12 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Cordia myxa is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in varying environmental conditions. As a non-nitrogen-fixing species, the plant does not possess the symbiotic mechanisms required for biological nitrogen fixation and must rely on the uptake of available nitrogenous compounds from the soil to support its growth and protein synthesis.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Cordia myxa is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, relying primarily on insect vectors to facilitate the transfer of pollen. This biological interaction ensures the successful fertilization required for fruit and seed development. The resulting seeds exhibit specific morphological variations in terms of mass; they possess a mean seed mass of approximately 0.43762 g, with individual seed weights ranging from a minimum of 0.26546 g to a maximum of 0.63924 g.

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.63924 g

Seed mass mean:

0.43762 g

Seed mass min:

0.26546 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Cordia myxa has 2 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf.

Fruit

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Iranian journal of microbiology

Leaf

1. Journal of basic and clinical physiology and pharmacology

Chemicals

Cordia myxa has 10 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, quercetin, COSMOSIIN, Flavonoid, Robinetin.

Flavonoids

1. Farmaco (Societa chimica italiana : 1989)
2. Journal of chromatography. A

quercetin

1. Iranian journal of microbiology
2. BMC infectious diseases

COSMOSIIN

1. BMC infectious diseases

Flavonoid

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

Robinetin

1. BMC infectious diseases

STIGMASTANOL

1. BMC infectious diseases

chlorhexidine

1. Jundishapur journal of natural pharmaceutical products

phenol

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

polyphenols

1. Journal of chromatography. A

rosmarinic acid

1. Journal of chromatography. A

Activities

Cordia myxa has 5 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial.

Analgesic

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Farmaco (Societa chimica italiana : 1989)

Antioxidant

1. Iranian journal of microbiology
2. BMC infectious diseases

Antibacterial

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

Antidiabetic

1. BMC infectious diseases

Antimicrobial

1. BMC infectious diseases

Conditions

Cordia myxa has 8 reported investigations on conditions identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include analgesic, Bacillus subtilis, COVID-19, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica.

Analgesic

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Farmaco (Societa chimica italiana : 1989)

Bacillus subtilis

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

Covid-19

1. Medical gas research

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

Salmonella enterica

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

Staphylococcus aureus

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

Brucellosis

1. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B

Malaria

1. BMC infectious diseases

Preparations

Cordia myxa has 11 reported preparations identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Cordia myxa Mucilage, Cordia myxa powdered mucilage, Crude dichloromethane, Ethyl acetate extracts, Zufa syrup.

Cordia myxa mucilage

1. Jundishapur journal of natural pharmaceutical products

Cordia myxa powdered mucilage

1. Jundishapur journal of natural pharmaceutical products

Crude dichloromethane

1. African journal of laboratory medicine

Ethyl acetate extracts

1. Journal of basic and clinical physiology and pharmacology

Zufa syrup

1. Medical gas research

Alkaloids extracts

1. African journal of laboratory medicine

Aqueous

1. African journal of laboratory medicine

Ethanol extract

1. Iranian journal of microbiology

Ethanolic and methanolic extracts

1. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B

Methanol

1. African journal of laboratory medicine