devil's grandmother

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• devil's grandmother
• tobacco-weed
• common elephant's-foot

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Elephantopus bodinieri
• Elephantopus virgatus
• Elephantopus tomentosus var. nudicaulis
• Elephantopus nudicaulis
• Elephantopus carolinianus var. simplex
• Elephantopus nudicaulis var. major
• Elephantopus tomentosus f. rotundatus

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Elephantopus tomeoosus, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae within the order Asterales. Finally, it is a member of the family Asteraceae and falls under the genus Elephantopus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical range spanning across various regions of Asia and the Pacific. In East Asia, its presence is noted in Southeast China as well as on the island of Taiwan. Its distribution extends into the Malesia region, where it can be found in both Malaya and the Philippines. Furthermore, the species reaches into the South-Central Pacific, specifically inhabiting the Tubuaí Islands. Together, these locations highlight the widespread natural habitat of Elephantopus tomentoosus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Elephantopus tomeنتosus is characterized by its ability to inhabit a broad vertical gradient across various landscapes, demonstrating significant adaptability to different altitudinal zones. This species thrives within an elevational range that begins at a minimum of 152 m AMSL and extends up to a maximum of 1780 m AMSL. Such a wide altitudinal distribution suggests that the plant can tolerate a diverse array of environmental conditions, ranging from the warmer, more humid lowland climates to the cooler, potentially more temperate conditions found in higher montane regions. This broad ecological niche allows it to colonize various habitats within these elevations, provided the specific microclimatic requirements for its growth and reproductive cycles are met.

Elevational range max:

1780 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

152 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Elephantopus tomeventosus is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, though its growth patterns can exhibit variable durations depending on environmental conditions and resource availability. As a perennial species, it does not complete its life cycle in a single growing season but instead persists through multiple years, allowing it to establish a robust presence within its habitat. The biological progression typically involves an initial establishment phase where the plant develops its characteristic basal rosette of hairy, ovate leaves, followed by a reproductive phase where it sends up flowering stalks. Throughout its extended lifespan, the plant can undergo seasonal fluctuations in vigor, but its perennial nature ensures a continuous opportunity for seed production and vegetative persistence, facilitating its long-term survival in its native ecological niches.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Elephantopus tomentosus is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not exhibit climbing behavior, functioning as neither a liana nor a vine. The species is strictly terrestrial, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies, and it grows as an independent organism rather than a parasite. Structurally, the plant is non-woody in nature and reaches a maximum plant height of approximately 1 meter.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Elephantopus tomeنتosus is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in its natural environment. The vegetative morphology of the plant is defined by a distinct leaf structure, where individual leaves typically exhibit a mean length of 14 cm, though they can range from a minimum of 8 cm to a maximum of 20 cm. Complementing this longitudinal variation, the leaf width shows significant physiological plasticity, maintaining a mean width of 4 cm with a minimum measurement of 3 cm and reaching a maximum width of 5 cm. These dimensions reflect the plant's capacity for surface area optimization to facilitate gas exchange and light interception essential for its C3 metabolic functions.

Leaf length max:

20 cm

Leaf length mean:

14 cm

Leaf length min:

8 cm

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

3 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Elephantopus tomeo-sus is primarily achieved through the production of specialized flowering structures that culminate in the development of small, characteristic fruits. The reproductive cycle involves the maturation of these fruits, which exhibit a highly consistent morphology across different specimens. Based on morphological data, the fruit length is extremely uniform, with a mean measurement of 0.3 cm. This consistency is reflected in the minimum and maximum recorded values, which both remain constant at 0.3 cm, indicating a very narrow range of variation in the dimensions of the fruit during its developmental stages.

Fruit length max:

0.3 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Elephantopus tomentosus has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Molephantin, Phantomolin.

Molephantin

1. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

Phantomolin

1. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

Activities

Elephantopus tomentosus has 3 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antitumor, Inflammatory.

Antioxidant

1. Journal of Asian natural products research

Antitumor

1. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

Inflammatory

1. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

Conditions

Elephantopus tomentosus has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include antioxidant.

Antioxidant

1. Journal of Asian natural products research