oriental spindle-tree

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• oriental spindle-tree
• winged burning-bush
• winged euonymus
• winged spindle-tree
• burningbush
• winged spindletree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Melanocarya alata
• Euonymus alatus var. striatus
• Euonymus striatus var. alatus
• Euonymus striatus subsp. alatus
• Euonymus alatus f. ciliatodentatus
• Euonymus striatus f. ciliatodentatus
• Euonymus alatus var. arakianus
• Euonymus striatus var. hirtus
• Euonymus alatus var. pilosus
• Euonymus alatus f. apterus
• Celastrus striatus
• Celastrus alatus
• Euonymus alatus compactus
• Euonymus rotundatus
• Euonymus verrucosus var. tchefouensis
• Euonymus sacrosanctus
• Euonymus subtriflorus
• Euonymus striatus
• Euonymus striatus var. pubescens
• Euonymus striatus var. rotundatus
• Euonymus alatus var. latifolius
• Euonymus thunbergianus
• Euonymus arakianus
• Euonymus alatus var. pubescens
• Euonymus striatus var. pilosus
• Euonymus alatus var. rotundatus
• Euonymus striatus var. pilosus
• Euonymus alatus subsp. sacrosanctus
• Euonymus alatus var. verus
• Euonymus alatus var. uncinatus
• Euonymus alatus subvar. subtriflorus
• Euonymus alatus f. variegatus
• Euonymus striatus var. cornucarpus
• Euonymus alatus f. striatus
• Euonymus alatus var. ciliatodentatus
• Euonymus alatus f. subtriflorus
• Euonymus alatus f. compactus
• Euonymus alatus var. cornucarpus
• Euonymus alatus var. ellipticus
• Euonymus alatus var. hirtus
• Euonymus alatus var. macrophyllus
• Euonymus ellipticus
• Euonymus loeseneri
• Euonymus kawachianus
• Euonymus nakamurae
• Euonymus alatus var. nakamurae
• Euonymus alatus f. pilosus

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae, the order Celastrales, and the family Celastraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Euonymus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning across several distinct regions of Eurasia. In Middle Europe, its presence is specifically documented within Germany. Moving eastward, it inhabits various parts of Siberia, including the regions of Buryatiya, Chitа, and Irkutsk. Furthermore, the species can be found extending into the Russian Far East. Ultimately, these locations highlight the diverse environmental range that Euonymus alatus occupies.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Euonymus alatus is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and various topographical landscapes. This species thrives across a wide range of settings, commonly occurring in forest ecosystems and mountainous regions where it can exploit different elevations. It demonstrates significant versatility in its niche selection, frequently populating riverbanks and moist areas near waterways, as well as colonizing disturbed sites such as roadsides. Additionally, it is well-suited to growing within dense shrubberies and can persist in more challenging, stony places where soil may be thin or rocky. This broad distribution across varied habitats allows the plant to occupy multiple ecological roles, from understory component to opportunistic colonizer in open or rugged terrain.

Habitat :

forest, mountains, rivers, roadsides, shrubberies, stony places

Life history

The life history of Euonymus alatus is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring its presence in the ecosystem over multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, it maintains its stem structure above the ground, while its growth habit can also be classified under the nanophanerophyte category due to its specific structural proportions. The plant exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage annually as part of its seasonal cycle.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Euonymus alatus is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub. It is a self-supporting, terrestrial plant that functions as an independent organism, not exhibiting parasitic or epiphytic behavior. In terms of stature, the plant typically reaches a mean height of 2 m, though its vertical growth can range from a minimum of 1 m to a maximum of 3 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

3 m

Plant height mean:

2 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Euonymus alatus is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic process typical of many woody shrubs that allows for efficient carbon fixation under moderate environmental conditions. The plant's vegetative morphology is defined by elliptic-shaped leaves that feature entirely smooth margins, lacking both thorns and spines. The leaves exhibit significant dimensional variability, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 2 cm to a mean of 5 cm, reaching a maximum of 8 cm. Correspondingly, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 1 cm and a maximum of 3 cm, maintaining a mean width of approximately 2 cm. This combination of leaf dimensions and photosynthetic efficiency supports the plant's growth patterns and metabolic demands.

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf length mean:

5 cm

Leaf length min:

2 cm

Leaf margin :

entire

Leaf spines :

no

Leaf thorns :

no

Leaf width max:

3 cm

Leaf width mean:

2 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Euonymus alatus is characterized by a flexible flowering period that can begin as early as December and extend through various months, typically concluding in June, though the timing remains variable depending on environmental conditions. The plant produces fruits that are relatively small, with a mean length of 0.75 cm, ranging from a minimum of 0.7 cm to a maximum of 0.8 cm. Within these fruits, the seeds exhibit specific mass characteristics, maintaining a mean seed mass of approximately 0.0172825 g. The individual seed weight fluctuates slightly, with a minimum recorded mass of 0.015 g and a maximum of 0.0182 g, ensuring a consistent seed profile for the species' dispersal and propagation.

Flowering time :

Dec

Flowering time :

Jun

Fruit length max:

0.8 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.75 cm

Fruit length min:

0.7 cm

Seed mass max:

0.0182 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0172825 g

Seed mass min:

0.015 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Euonymus alatus has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Chemicals

Euonymus alatus has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Lignans, Steroids, Cardenolides, Terpenoids.

Flavonoids

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Lignans

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Steroids

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cardenolides

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Terpenoids

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

triterpenoids

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Conditions

Euonymus alatus has 15 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include dysmenorrhea, hyperglycemia, arthritis, cancer, tumors.

Dysmenorrhea

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Food & nutrition research

Hyperglycemia

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
3. Food & nutrition research

Arthritis

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Food & nutrition research

Cancer

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Food & nutrition research

Tumors

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Urticaria

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Food & nutrition research

Wound

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Osteoporosis

1. Nutrients

Blood sugar

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Diabetic complications

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM