Xeraea martiana

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Xeraea martiana
• Xeraea argentina
• Gomphrena martiana var. glutinosa
• Iresine chenopodioides
• Gomphrena martiana f. austrina
• Gomphrena martiana var. microcephala
• Gomphrena glutinosa
• Gomphrena argentina
• Gossypianthus martiana
• Philoxerus heliotropifolium

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 Caryophyllales, it is classified under the family Amaranthaceae and is specifically identified by the genus Gomphrena.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning several continents. In South Tropical Africa, its presence is noted specifically within Mozambique. Moving to the Americas, it can be found in Western South America, specifically in Bolivia and Peru. Within Brazil, the species is located in the West-Central region. Interestingly, its range also extends as far north as the Northeastern United States, including New York.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Gomphrena martiana is characterized by a broad altitudinal adaptability, allowing it to inhabit diverse topographical settings. This species thrives across a significant vertical gradient, ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 1810 m AMSL. This expansive elevational range suggests that the plant is capable of tolerating various climatic shifts, from the humid, warm conditions found at 0 m AMSL to the cooler, potentially more temperate environments encountered at its upper limit. Such ecological plasticity enables it to colonize a variety of niches within its natural habitat, responding to the varying moisture levels and temperature fluctuations inherent to different mountain elevations.

Elevational range max:

1810 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Gomphrena martiana is characterized by its classification as an annual species, meaning it completes its entire biological cycle—from germination to seed production—within a single growing season. As a therophyte, its survival strategy relies on producing a large quantity of seeds that remain dormant in the soil during unfavorable conditions, allowing the plant to emerge rapidly when environmental circumstances become favorable. This life form dictates a rapid developmental trajectory, where the plant invests its energy into quick vegetative growth followed by an intensive reproductive phase to ensure the continuation of the species before the onset of seasonal decline.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Gomphrena martiana is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. This plant is entirely terrestrial in its habitat, showing no aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies, as it exists as a terrestrial organism rather than a holoepiphyte, hemiepiphyte, or facultative epiphyte. In terms of its structural habit, it is a self-supporting plant, lacking any climbing, vine, or liana characteristics, and it does not function as an obligatory or facultative climber. Furthermore, Gomphrena martiana is an independent organism that does not exhibit parasitic behavior, maintaining a self-sufficient life cycle without being an obligatory or facultative parasite.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Gomphrena martiana has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antitumor, Cytotoxic.

Antitumor

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cytotoxic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Conditions

Gomphrena martiana has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Sarcoma 180.

Sarcoma 180

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Gomphrena martiana has 4 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include EtOH extract, lipophilic flavonoid fraction, petroleum ether (PE) extract, petroleum ether extract.

Etoh extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Lipophilic flavonoid fraction

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Petroleum ether (pe) extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Petroleum ether extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology