achacha

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• achacha

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Marialva calyptrata
• Rheedia calyptrata
• Rheedia spruceana var. cuneata
• Rheedia gardneriana var. parvifolia
• Rheedia gardneriana var. glaziovii
• Rheedia arubayensis
• Rheedia gardneriana
• Tovomita calyptrata
• Lamprophyllum gardnerianum
• Platorheedia pacuri
• Rheedia tenuifolia
• Platorheedia arborea

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Malpighiales and placed in the family Clusiaceae. Specifically, Garcinia gardneriana is identified by its genus, Garcinia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad distribution across the tropical regions of South America. In the northern part of the continent, it can be found in French Guiana and Venezuela. Moving toward the western side of the continent, its range extends into Colombia and Ecuador. Additionally, the species is documented to grow within the territory of Bolivia. Collectively, these locations highlight the plant's presence in diverse South American ecosystems.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Garcinia gardneriana is characterized by its presence across a diverse range of forest ecosystems, including riparian forests (Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria), gallery forests, terra firme forests, semi-deciduous seasonal forests, ombrophilous (rainforest) forests, and restinga environments. These varied habitats indicate an adaptability to different moisture regimes and soil compositions, ranging from the highly humid conditions of tropical rainforests to the sandy, coastal ecosystems of the restinga. In terms of topographic distribution, the species is found at a mean elevation of approximately 400 m AMSL, reflecting its preference for specific altitudinal niches within these tropical and subtropical forest structures.

Elevational range mean:

400 m AMSL

Habitat :

Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria, Floresta de Terra Firme, Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Restinga

Life history

The life history of Garcinia gardneriana is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years. Throughout its biological cycle, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, ensuring that it retains its foliage and remains physiologically active across different seasons rather than shedding leaves seasonally.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Garcinia gardneriana is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree, which functions as a self-supporting structure rather than a climber or liana. This terrestrial species grows independently, lacking any parasitic or epiphytic tendencies, and maintains a strictly land-based existence. In terms of stature, the plant typically reaches an average height of 8 meters, though it can attain a maximum height of up to 12 meters.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

12 m

Plant height mean:

8 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Garcinia gardneriana is characterized by a standard C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation process and metabolic efficiency in varying light and temperature conditions. As a member of the C3 group, the plant utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly within the mesophyll cells, a process that is typically optimized for temperate to tropical environments. Furthermore, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, and instead relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil to meet its nutritional requirements for protein and nucleic acid synthesis.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Garcinia gardneriana is centered around the production and dispersal of its seeds, which exhibit highly consistent morphological characteristics. The reproductive success of the species is characterized by a uniform seed size, with a recorded seed mass mean of 2.9 g. This uniformity is reflected in the specific weight parameters of the seeds, where both the maximum and minimum seed mass values are measured at exactly 2.9 g. Such precise data indicates a lack of significant variance in seed mass within the sampled population, suggesting a highly stabilized reproductive strategy regarding the energy investment per seed.

Seed mass mean:

2.9 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Garcinia gardneriana has 2 reported plant parts identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, seed.

Leaf

1. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Nutrients

Seed

1. Computational biology and chemistry

Chemicals

Garcinia gardneriana has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 7-epiclusianone, Betulin, Guttiferone A, Volkensiflavone.

7-epiclusianone

1. Computational biology and chemistry

Betulin

1. Dr. Duke

Guttiferone A

1. Computational biology and chemistry

Volkensiflavone

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Activities

Garcinia gardneriana has 25 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antiviral, Analgesic, AntiHIV, Anticancer, Anticarcinomic.

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Analgesic

1. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung. C, Journal of biosciences

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

Anticancer

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticarcinomic

1. Dr. Duke

Antifeedant

1. Dr. Duke

Antiflu

1. Dr. Duke

Antifungal

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antihistaminic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Garcinia gardneriana has 5 reported medicinal uses identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include gastritis, hepatitis, infections, pain, wounds.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations