Peltiphyllum peltatum

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Indian Rhubarb
• Indian-rhubarb
• umbrella-plant
• Umbrella Plant

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Peltiphyllum peltatum
• Saxifraga peltata
• Leptarrhena inundata

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Saxifragales and placed in the family Saxifragaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Darmera.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several regions of Europe. In Northern Europe, it can be found growing in the Faroe Islands, Great Britain, and Ireland. Moving toward the center of the continent, the species is also present in Middle Europe. Specifically, it inhabits parts of Germany within this central region. Additionally, its range extends through the Czechia-Slovakia area.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Darmera peltata is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a long-lived species, it establishes a robust presence in its native moist, shaded habitats, often spreading through the development of rhizomes that facilitate vegetative expansion. Throughout its lifecycle, the plant undergoes seasonal cycles of foliage development and flowering, relying on its stored energy in underground structures to survive periods of environmental stress. This perennial nature ensures that once a specimen has successfully established itself, it can continue to occupy its ecological niche and reproduce both sexually via seeds and asexually through clonal growth over many years.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Darmera peltata is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. This plant is a self-supporting organism, meaning it does not function as a liana or vine, and it grows as an independent species without parasitic tendencies. It reaches a typical plant height with a mean of approximately 2 m. Regarding its habitat and ecological positioning, it is a terrestrial plant, functioning neither as an aquatic nor a semiaquatic species, nor as an epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

2 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Darmera peltata is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and environmental adaptations. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix carbon dioxide directly through the enzyme RuBisCO, a strategy that is highly efficient in the cool, moist, and shaded understory environments where the species typically thrives. This metabolic approach requires significant water availability to maintain stomatal conductance for gas exchange while minimizing photorespiration. The plant's physiological efficiency is closely tied to its ability to manage transpiration and nutrient uptake in high-humidity habitats, leveraging its large leaf surface area to maximize light interception in low-light conditions. Consequently, its carbon assimilation patterns are optimized for stable, temperate climates rather than the water-conserving mechanisms seen in C4 or CAM species.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Darmera peltata is characterized by the production of specialized seeds that exhibit specific morphological weight profiles. The seed mass within this species shows subtle variations, with a recorded mean mass of 0.000207333 g. Throughout the reproductive cycle, the individual seed weights fluctuate within a narrow range, reaching a maximum mass of 0.000238 g and a minimum mass of 0.000184 g. These precise measurements reflect the consistent developmental patterns of the plant's progeny during its seeding phase.

Seed mass max:

0.000238 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000207333 g

Seed mass min:

0.000184 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Darmera peltata has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Journal of medicinal food

Chemicals

Darmera peltata has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Gallic acid, Methyl 3-O-methyl gallate.

Gallic acid

1. Journal of medicinal food
2. Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology
3. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju

Methyl 3-O-methyl gallate

1. Journal of medicinal food

Activities

Darmera peltata has 2 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Prooxidant.

Antioxidant

1. Journal of medicinal food
2. Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology
3. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju

Prooxidant

1. Journal of medicinal food