Dillenia ovata

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and is classified under the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Dilleniales, it falls under the family Dilleniaceae. Specifically, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Dillenia, with the species being Dillenia ovata.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Dillenia ovata, is widely distributed across the diverse landscapes of the Indo-China region. Within this geographical area, it can be found growing in the tropical environments of Cambodia. Its presence also extends to the lush territories of Laos and Myanmar. Furthermore, the species is well-established within the borders of Thailand. Finally, its natural range reaches into the forested regions of Vietnam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Dillenia ovata is characterized by its nature as a perennial species, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its habitat. Its phenology is marked by a deciduous habit, meaning it undergoes a period of leaf shedding, typically in response to seasonal environmental changes or moisture availability. This cycle of growth and dormancy is fundamental to its survival strategy, balancing seasonal resource management with its long-lived perennial structure.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Dillenia ovata is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree. It typically reaches an average plant height of 12 m, though it can grow to a maximum height of 30 m. As a terrestrial plant, it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, functioning instead as a self-supporting organism rather than a climber, liana, or vine.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Plant height max:

30 m

Plant height mean:

12 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Dillenia ovata is characterized by a standard C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy in many woody tropical species where carbon fixation occurs primarily through the enzyme Rubisco during the Calvin cycle. Unlike plants utilizing C4 or CAM pathways, this species relies on the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide within the mesophyll cells, typically requiring consistent moisture availability to maintain stomatal conductance for gas exchange. Furthermore, Dillenia ovata is not a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the specialized symbiotic relationships with diazotrophic bacteria, such as Rhizobium, required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, meaning it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium present in the soil substrate to meet its nutritional requirements for protein and chlorophyll synthesis.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Dillenia ovata has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant.

Antioxidant

1. Biotechnology reports (Amsterdam, Netherlands)