Echinops grijsii

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Echinops cathayanus

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 Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Specifically, it is identified by the genus Echinops.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread presence across various regions of East Asia. Within China, its distribution is extensive, covering the South-Central and North-Central territories. It can also be found growing in the Manchuria region and throughout China Southeast. Furthermore, the species extends its range to the island of Taiwan. Together, these locations highlight a broad geographical footprint throughout the eastern part of the continent.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Echinops grijsii is characterized by its specific altitudinal distribution, which is strictly confined to low-lying terrain. This species is found at an elevational range starting at a minimum of 120 m AMSL, with an elevational range mean that remains constant at 120 m AMSL. This indicates a highly specialized niche within low-altitude environments, suggesting that the plant thrives in specific lowland ecological zones rather than varying across different mountain gradients.

Elevational range mean:

120 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Echinops grijsii is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. Its developmental cycle involves a period of establishment where it builds sufficient energy reserves, typically within its root system, to support long-term survival and repeated reproductive efforts. As a perennial, it exhibits a life history strategy that prioritizes endurance and the ability to recover from seasonal environmental changes, distinguishing it from annual or biennial species that complete their entire life cycle in a single season. This perennial nature enables the plant to occupy its ecological niche over extended durations, contributing to its stability within its specific habitat.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Echinops grijsii is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. As a self-supporting plant, it does not exhibit climbing tendencies, maintaining a stable structure through its herbaceous habit. The plant typically reaches a mean height of 0.55 m, though its stature can vary significantly depending on environmental conditions, with minimum recorded heights of 0.3 m and a maximum height reaching up to 0.8 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Plant height max:

0.8 m

Plant height mean:

0.55 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiological development of the foliage in Echinops grijsii is characterized by specific morphological dimensions that define its vegetative growth patterns. The leaf architecture exhibits a moderate range of size, with mean leaf lengths typically measuring 12.5 cm, though they can fluctuate between a minimum of 10 cm and a maximum of 15 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, the leaf width shows a similar variability, maintaining a mean width of 5.5 cm. This width varies from a minimum of 4 cm to a maximum capacity of 7 cm, reflecting the plant's adaptive capacity in its structural development and surface area optimization for light absorption.

Leaf length max:

15 cm

Leaf length mean:

12.5 cm

Leaf length min:

10 cm

Leaf width max:

7 cm

Leaf width mean:

5.5 cm

Leaf width min:

4 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Echinops grijsii is characterized by specific morphological dimensions within its reproductive structures, particularly regarding its inflorescence and fruit development. The inflorescence displays a highly consistent and compact structure, with length measurements ranging from a minimum of 0.015 m to a maximum of 0.02 m. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits that exhibit remarkable uniformity in size; the fruit length is consistent across all observed specimens, maintaining a minimum, mean, and maximum value of exactly 1 cm.

Fruit length max:

1 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.02 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.015 m

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Echinops grijsii has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Thiophenes, triterpenoids.

Flavonoids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Thiophenes

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

triterpenoids

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Echinops grijsii has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antifungal, Antitumor.

Antifungal

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antitumor

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Conditions

Echinops grijsii has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include tumor.

Tumor

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)