Hubei Anemone

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Hubei Anemone
• Japanese Thimbleweed

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Anemone hupehensis
• Anemone matsudae
• Eriocapitella vitifolia var. matsudae
• Anemone vitifolia var. matsudae
• Anemone robustostylosa
• Anemone hupehensis f. alba
• Anemone japonica var. hupehensis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Eriocapitella hupehensis, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Ranunculales and the family Ranunculaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Eriocapitella.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a highly fragmented and wide-ranging geographical distribution across several continents. In Northern Europe, its presence is recorded in both Denmark and Sweden. Moving into Middle Europe, the species can be found within the territories of Germany and the Czechia-Slovakia region. Additionally, the plant has a significant presence in East Asia, specifically within China South-Central. This diverse range suggests that the species is capable of adapting to varied environmental conditions across different global zones.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Eriocapitella hupehensis is characterized by its distribution across a significant altitudinal gradient, reflecting its ability to adapt to diverse mountain environments. The species inhabits a broad elevational range that begins at a minimum of 400 m AMSL and extends up to a maximum of 3300 m AMSL. Throughout its natural habitat, the plant maintains a mean elevation of approximately 1860 m AMSL, suggesting a preference for mid-to-high altitude montane ecosystems where specific temperature and moisture regimes are maintained.

Elevational range max:

3300 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1860 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

400 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Eriocapitella hupehensis is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a perennial species, it maintains its structural integrity over several years, often developing established root systems that facilitate survival through dormant periods. This long-term developmental strategy enables the plant to contribute to the stability of its specific ecological niche, undergoing repeated cycles of vegetative growth and reproductive phases over its lifespan.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Eriocapitella hupehensis is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. This species is a self-supporting plant, functioning neither as a climber nor as a liana, and it maintains an independent lifestyle as it is not a parasite. It is a terrestrial plant, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits moderate height variability, with a minimum height of 0.3 m, a maximum height of 1.2 m, and an average plant height of approximately 0.75 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.2 m

Plant height mean:

0.75 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiological development of the foliage in Eriocapitella hupehensis is characterized by significant morphological variability in leaf dimensions, reflecting its adaptive growth patterns. The leaf length exhibits a broad range, with a minimum recorded at 4 cm and a mean measurement of 7.5 cm, reaching a maximum elongation of 11 cm. Parallel to this longitudinal variation, the leaf width demonstrates a similar degree of plasticity, spanning from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 10 cm, with an average width maintained at 6.5 cm. This variance in surface area expansion suggests a dynamic physiological response to environmental factors, influencing the plant's photosynthetic capacity through its fluctuating leaf geometry.

Leaf length max:

11 cm

Leaf length mean:

7.5 cm

Leaf length min:

4 cm

Leaf width max:

10 cm

Leaf width mean:

6.5 cm

Leaf width min:

3 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Eriocapitella hupehensis is characterized by the development of small, uniform fruits and highly consistent seed metrics. The fruit produced by this species maintains a highly stabilized dimension, with both the mean and the observed range (minimum and maximum values) measuring exactly 0.35 cm in length. Complementing this morphological consistency is the seed production, which exhibits no variance in mass; the seeds possess a mean, minimum, and maximum mass of 0.00065 g. This uniformity in both fruit length and seed mass suggests a highly standardized reproductive output for the species.

Fruit length max:

0.35 cm

Seed mass mean:

0.00065 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Eriocapitella hupehensis has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Hupehensis saponin F, Hupehensis saponin G.

Hupehensis saponin F

1. Phytochemistry

Hupehensis saponin G

1. Phytochemistry