Erythrina fusca

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical presence across several key regions of the African continent. In West Tropical Africa, its distribution includes the countries of Ghana and Nigeria. Moving into West-Central Tropical Africa, it can be found in Cameroon as well as throughout the Gulf of Guinea Islands. The species also extends its range into East Tropical Africa, specifically within Tanzania. Collectively, these locations demonstrate that the plant spans multiple tropical zones from west to east.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Erythrina fuscata is characterized by a broad altitudinal distribution, spanning from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1560 m AMSL. This species exhibits significant ecological plasticity, inhabiting a diverse array of environments ranging from anthropogenic areas (Área Antrópica) to specialized coastal and riparian ecosystems. Its typical habitats include coastal formations such as mangroves (Manguezal) and restingas, as well as moist forest environments including riparian forests (Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria) and floodplain forests (Floresta de Várzea).

Elevational range max:

1560 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria, Floresta de Várzea, Manguezal, Restinga

Life history

The life history of Erythrina fuscata is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated branches above the ground level, a structural strategy that defines its life form. Its seasonal development is marked by a deciduous nature, meaning it sheds its foliage periodically, likely in response to environmental or climatic shifts. This combination of a long-lived perennial lifecycle, a phanerophyte growth habit, and deciduous behavior dictates its rhythmic pattern of growth, dormancy, and regeneration within its ecosystem.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Erythrina fusca is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree. This species typically reaches a mean plant height of 15 m, though it has the capacity to attain a maximum height of up to 30 m. As a self-supporting organism, it does not exhibit climbing behavior such as a vine or liana, nor does it function as a climber. The plant is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies, such as being a holoepiphyte or hemiepiphyte. Furthermore, it is an independent species that does not function as a parasite, maintaining its own nutritional processes without reliance on a host.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

30 m

Plant height mean:

15 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Erythrina fusca is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which involves the direct fixation of carbon dioxide through the Calvin cycle within the mesophyll cells. This species does not exhibit succulence, maintaining standard leaf and stem tissue structures rather than specialized water-storage adaptations. Furthermore, the plant functions as a nitrogen fixer, utilizing a symbiotic relationship with rhizobial bacteria within its root nodules to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form, thereby enhancing its nutrient uptake and growth in nitrogen-poor soils.

Nitrogen fixer :

yes

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Erythrina fusca is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on birds as the primary pollinators to facilitate fertilization. The dispersal of its progeny follows an anemochorous syndrome, where wind plays a critical role in the movement of seeds away from the parent plant. The seeds themselves exhibit a highly uniform mass, with a recorded mean, maximum, and minimum seed mass all consistently measured at 0.51595 g, indicating a lack of significant variation in seed size within the population.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Pollination syndrome :

bird

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass mean:

0.51595 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Erythrina fusca has 18 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Ash, CALCIUM, Erysodine, Erysopine, Erysothiopine.

Ash

1. Dr. Duke

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke

Erysodine

1. Dr. Duke

Erysopine

1. Dr. Duke

Erysothiopine

1. Dr. Duke

Erysothiovine

1. Dr. Duke

Erysovine

1. Dr. Duke

Erythraline

1. Dr. Duke

FAT

1. Dr. Duke

Hypaphorine

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Erythrina fusca has 214 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Acidulant, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Allergenic, Analgesic, Androgenic?.

Acidulant

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke

Androgenic?

1. Dr. Duke

Angiotensin-Receptor-Blocker

1. Dr. Duke

AntiAGE

1. Dr. Duke

AntiCFS

1. Dr. Duke

AntiCTS

1. Dr. Duke

AntiCrohn's

1. Dr. Duke