Epaltes divaricata

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Epaltes linearifolia
• Erigerodes divaricata
• Ethulia divaricata
• Poilania laggeroides

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. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is within the genus Epaltes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread distribution across several key regions in Asia. Within China, its presence is specifically noted in the tropical province of Hainan. Moving into the Indian Subcontinent, it can be found growing in both India and Sri Lanka. The species also extends into the Indo-China region, covering territories such as Myanmar. Finally, its geographical range includes the country of Vietnam.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Epaltes divaricata is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence within its ecological niche. As a perennial, it avoids the complete die-back seen in annual species, instead focusing its energy on sustained vegetative growth and the development of robust structural components that support its survival over several years. This longevity enables the species to navigate seasonal fluctuations and invest in complex reproductive strategies that ensure its continued propagation within its habitat.

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Epaltes divaricata is characterized by its growth form as a herb, exhibiting a non-woody structure throughout its vegetative development. It functions as a self-supporting climber, utilizing its physical architecture to ascend and occupy its ecological niche without the requirement of external structural dependence.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiological morphology of Epaltes divaricata is characterized by distinct leaf dimensions that define its vegetative structure. The leaves exhibit a notable range in longitudinal development, with lengths varying from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 6.5 cm, resulting in an average leaf length of 4.25 cm. Complementing this longitudinal variation is a specialized width profile, where the leaves maintain a narrow form, ranging from a minimum width of 0.2 cm to a maximum width of 0.7 cm. These specific measurements indicate a highly slender leaf architecture, which likely plays a role in the plant's transpiration and light interception strategies.

Leaf length max:

6.5 cm

Leaf length mean:

4.25 cm

Leaf length min:

2 cm

Leaf width max:

0.7 cm

Leaf width min:

0.2 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Epaltes divaricata is characterized by the production of small, specialized fruit structures that exhibit a high degree of uniformity in size. The morphological data indicates that the fruit length is remarkably consistent, with a minimum, mean, and maximum value all measured at 0.1 cm. This extreme uniformity in fruit dimensions suggests a highly stabilized reproductive output, where the resulting fruit consistently reaches a length of 0.1 cm, ensuring a standardized dispersal unit for the species.

Fruit length max:

0.1 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Epaltes divaricata has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include HEXANE, ethanol, water.

HEXANE

1. Scientifica

ethanol

1. Scientifica

water

1. Scientifica

Activities

Epaltes divaricata has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Hepatoprotective.

Hepatoprotective

1. The Indian journal of medical research

Conditions

Epaltes divaricata has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus

1. International journal of microbiology

Preparations

Epaltes divaricata has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include aqueous extract.

Aqueous extract

1. The Indian journal of medical research