strongback

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• strongback
• tick trefoil
• tick-clover

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Meibomia racemifera
• Meibomia adscendens
• Desmodium adscendens
• Meibomia adscendens var. obovata
• Meibomia trifoliastra
• Grona adscendens var. robusta
• Desmodium caespitosum
• Desmodium oxalidifolium
• Desmodium racemiferum
• Desmodium adscendens var. trifoliastrum
• Meibomia thwaitesii
• Hedysarum adscendens
• Hedysarum lindleyi
• Hedysarum caespitosum
• Desmodium obovatum
• Desmodium adscendens f. glabrescens
• Desmodium adscendens var. robustum
• Desmodium arinense
• Desmodium coeruleum
• Desmodium ellipticum
• Desmodium glaucescens
• Desmodium simplex
• Desmodium thwaitesii
• Desmodium trifoliastrum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales, falling into the family Fabaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Grona.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Grona ascendens, exhibits a specific geographical distribution concentrated within the West Tropical Africa region. Its presence is documented across several distinct countries, starting with Benin. It can also be found spanning through the territories of Burkina Faso and Ghana. Furthermore, the species extends its range into Guinea-Bissau. Finally, its distribution includes the nation of Guinea, marking its presence in these specific West African landscapes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Grona ascendens is characterized by remarkable environmental plasticity, allowing it to colonize a diverse array of ecosystems across varying landscapes. It inhabits a wide spectrum of habitats, including Anthropogenic areas, Campinarana, High-altitude fields (Campo de Altitude), Rupestrian grasslands (Campo Rupestre), and the Cerrado (latu sensu). Furthermore, it is found within diverse forest structures such as Coastal forests (Floresta Ciliar) or Gallery forests, Terra Firme forests, Varzea forests, Ombrophilous (Pluvial) forests, and Restinga environments. This adaptability extends to a broad altitudinal distribution, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum elevation of 2600 m AMSL, with a mean elevation of approximately 400 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

2600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Campinarana, Campo de Altitude, Campo Rupestre, Cerrado (lato sensu), Floresta Ciliar ou Galeria, Floresta de Terra Firme, Floresta de Várzea, Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Restinga

Life history

The life history of Grona ascendens is characterized by its perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural life form, it is classified as a chamaephyte, meaning its buds are located close to the soil surface, which influences its growth pattern and resilience within its natural habitat. This chamaephyte classification is consistent across its morphological categorization, defining its strategy for survival and seasonal development.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Grona ascendens is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. This terrestrial plant exhibits a relatively low stature, with a mean plant height of approximately 0.7 m and a maximum recorded height of 0.3 m. Although it possesses climbing tendencies, it is categorized as a self-supporting plant rather than an obligatory vine or liana. It functions as an independent organism, showing no parasitic behavior, and maintains a strictly terrestrial existence, lacking any epiphytic or aquatic characteristics.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.3 m

Plant height mean:

0.7 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Grona ascendens is characterized by its metabolic efficiency and structural adaptations suited to its environmental niche. Central to its energy production is its photosynthetic pathway, which utilizes the C3 mechanism to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this process, the enzyme RuBisCO facilitates the initial carboxylation of CO2, leading to the formation of a three-carbon compound, 3-phosphoglycerate, as the primary stable product of carbon fixation. This C3 pathway dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and its physiological response to varying light intensities and ambient temperatures. Beyond carbon assimilation, its physiological framework supports the biochemical transformations necessary for synthesizing secondary metabolites, which are integral to its medicinal properties.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Grona ascendens is characterized by a specific phenological pattern and specialized seed dispersal mechanisms. The flowering period is highly concentrated, with both the flowering start and end occurring in February, though the timing can remain variable depending on environmental conditions. The plant produces very small seeds, maintaining a consistent seed mass where the minimum, mean, and maximum values are all recorded at 0.0015 g. Regarding its dispersal strategy, the species exhibits a zoochorous syndrome, specifically utilizing epizoochory, which implies that the seeds are dispersed by adhering to the outside of animals as they move through the habitat.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

epizoochorous

Flowering time :

Feb

Seed mass mean:

0.0015 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Grona adscendens has 1 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.

Leaf

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. European journal of mass spectrometry (Chichester, England)

Chemicals

Grona adscendens has 14 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Anthocyanins, Dehydrosoyasaponin I, F2, Isovitexin.

Flavonoids

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. European journal of mass spectrometry (Chichester, England)

Anthocyanins

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Dehydrosoyasaponin I

1. Biochemistry

F2

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Isovitexin

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Isovitexin 2''-O-xyloside

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Soyasaponin I

1. Biochemistry

Soyasaponin III

1. Biochemistry

Tannins

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Tetrahydroisoquinolines

1. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and essential fatty acids

Activities

Grona adscendens has 1 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antiallergic.

Antiallergic

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Preparations

Grona adscendens has 8 reported preparations identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Crude extracts, F2, L5, aqueous extract, ethanolic extract of the leaves.

Crude extracts

1. Biochemistry

F2

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

L5

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Aqueous extract

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology

Ethanolic extract of the leaves

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hot water extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hydro alcoholic extract

1. Journal of intercultural ethnopharmacology

N-butanol

1. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology