Henriettea fascicularis

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Henriettella sylvestris
• Staphidiastrum fasciculare
• Ossaea fascicularis
• Sagraea acutiflora
• Henriettella fascicularis
• Henriettella fascicularis var. sintenisii
• Melastoma fasciculare
• Sagraea fascicularis
• Sagraea scabrida
• Staphidiastrum scabridum
• Henriettea sylvestris

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 in the order Myrtales. Finally, it is a member of the family Melastomataceae and falls under the genus Henriettea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning across parts of North and Central America. In Mexico, its presence is noted in both the Southwest and Southeast regions of the country. Moving southward, the species can be found throughout various parts of Central America. Specifically, its range includes the nations of Belize and Guatemala. Finally, the distribution extends further south to include Costa Rica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Henriettea fascicularis is defined by its presence in diverse tropical forest ecosystems, specifically occupying both Floresta de Terra Firme and Floresta de Várzea habitats. This distribution allows the species to thrive in both stable, non-flooded upland environments and seasonal floodplain areas subject to periodic inundation. Its vertical distribution is quite broad, spanning an elevational range that begins at sea level (0 m AMSL) and extends up to a maximum altitude of 1400 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

1400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Floresta de Terra Firme, Floresta de Várzea

Life history

The life history of Henriettea fascicularis is characterized by its status as a perennial species, meaning it persists through multiple growing seasons rather than completing its life cycle in a single year. As a long-lived plant, it establishes a stable presence within its ecological niche, focusing its energy on sustained vegetative growth and periodic reproductive efforts over several years. This perennial lifecycle allows the plant to endure fluctuating environmental conditions and accumulate the necessary resources to support complex developmental stages, ensuring long-term survival and continuous contributions to its local ecosystem.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Henriettea fascicularis is characterized by a woody growth form that can manifest as both a shrub and a tree, reaching a maximum plant height of 18 meters. It is a self-supporting organism, functioning as an independent species rather than an obligatory or facultative parasite. In terms of its ecological positioning, the plant is terrestrial, lacking the characteristics of an epiphyte or an aquatic species, as it does not inhabit semiaquatic or fully aquatic environments. Furthermore, while it possesses the structural integrity to remain self-supporting, it does not exhibit the climbing habits associated with lianas or vines.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

18 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Henriettea fascicularis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating a standard carbon fixation process typical of many woody species. The plant exhibits highly consistent leaf morphological traits, with a recorded Leaf Dry Matter Content (LDMC) that remains stable at a value of 287.6 mg/g across its minimum, mean, and maximum measurements. Complementing this leaf density, the Specific Leaf Area (SLA) is also uniform, showing a consistent value of 137.22458 cm²/g for its minimum, mean, and maximum parameters. These physiological metrics suggest a specialized leaf structure optimized for its specific environmental niche, maintaining a steady balance between biomass investment and surface area for light interception.

Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) mean:

287.6 mg/g

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) min:

137.22458 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Henriettea fascicularis is characterized by the production of extremely minute seeds that exhibit high levels of uniformity in both weight and size. The seeds possess a highly consistent seed mass, with both the minimum and maximum recorded values, as well as the mean, reaching exactly 2e-05 g. This uniformity extends to the seed volume, which remains constant across all measurements; the minimum, maximum, and mean seed volumes are all precisely 0.26 mm³. Such standardized morphological traits suggest a highly specific reproductive strategy involving the dispersal of very small, lightweight propagules.

Seed mass mean:

2e-05 g

Seed volume max:

0.26 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Henriettea fascicularis has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include (-)-pinoresinol, 4',5,7-Trihydroxy-6,8-dimethylisoflavone, BETA-SITOSTEROL, Lichexanthone, betulinic acid.

(-)-pinoresinol

1. Journal of natural products

4',5,7-Trihydroxy-6,8-dimethylisoflavone

1. Journal of natural products

BETA-SITOSTEROL

1. Journal of natural products

Lichexanthone

1. Journal of natural products

betulinic acid

1. Journal of natural products

palmitic acid

1. Journal of natural products

Preparations

Henriettea fascicularis has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include dichloromethane extract.

Dichloromethane extract

1. Journal of natural products