cup-and-saucer-plant

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• cup-and-saucer-plant
• mandarin's-hat

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Hastingia coccinea
• Platunum rubrum
• Hastingia scandens
• Holmskioldia rubra
• Holmskioldia sanguinea f. aurantiaca
• Holmskioldia sanguinea var. flavescens
• Holmskioldia sanguinea f. citrina

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Holmskioldia sanguinea, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is further classified under the order Lamiales and the family Lamiaceae. Finally, its taxonomic position is completed within the genus Holmskioldia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning several distinct ecological regions. In South Tropical Africa, its presence is noted within the borders of Malawi. The species also reaches the Western Indian Ocean, specifically occurring on the island of Mauritius. Moving toward the Indian Subcontinent, it can be found in both Assam and Bangladesh. Finally, its range extends further into the mountainous terrain of the East Himalaya.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Holmskioldia sanguinea is characterized by its broad adaptability to diverse altitudinal gradients, allowing it to thrive across a wide environmental spectrum. It occupies a vast elevational range that begins at sea level (0 m AMSL) and extends upward to a maximum altitude of 1920 m AMSL. This wide vertical distribution suggests that the species can tolerate varying levels of atmospheric pressure, temperature fluctuations, and moisture availability typically found between lowland tropical or subtropical zones and higher montane habitats. Such ecological plasticity enables the plant to colonize multiple distinct microclimates, ranging from coastal lowlands to mid-elevation mountainous regions.

Elevational range max:

1920 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Holmskioldia sanguinea is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its growth habit and structural classification, the plant exhibits characteristics of both phanerophyte and nanophanerophyte life forms, depending on its developmental stage and environmental conditions. As a phanerophyte, it maintains its regenerative buds well above the ground, typically manifesting as a woody, climbing shrub. However, its structural profile can also align with the nanophanerophyte classification, reflecting its specific architectural arrangement of stems and foliage.

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Holmskioldia sanguinea is characterized by a woody structure, manifesting as a shrubby growth form. It functions as an independent organism, exhibiting no parasitic tendencies toward other plants. While it possesses a woody constitution, its growth habit is primarily terrestrial rather than aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic, as it maintains a stable existence on land rather than as a holoepiphyte, hemiepiphyte, or facultative epiphyte. Although it can exhibit characteristics of a liana or vine due to its climbing potential, it is categorized within a shrubby growth framework.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

liana

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Holmskiöldia sanguinea is characterized by a specialized metabolic framework adapted to its specific ecological niche. Central to its energy production is its photosynthetic pathway, which utilizes the C3 mechanism to facilitate carbon fixation. Through this C3 pathway, the plant utilizes the enzyme RuBisCO to catalyze the initial carboxylation of CO2, converting it into a three-carbon compound during the Calvin cycle. This metabolic strategy dictates the plant's gas exchange patterns and water-use efficiency, influencing how it manages transpiration and light absorption to sustain its growth and reproductive cycles.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Holmskioldia sanguinea involves a complex multi-modal approach to seed dissemination to ensure species survival across diverse habitats. The plant utilizes several dispersal syndromes, primarily functioning through anemochory, where wind acts as a key agent in transporting seeds away from the parent plant. In addition to wind dispersal, the species exhibits zoochorous tendencies, leveraging animals to aid in the movement of its reproductive units. The plant also employs autochory, utilizing internal mechanical means to eject seeds, and hydrochory, where water currents facilitate the transport of seeds to new locations. Furthermore, the reproductive strategy can be characterized as unspecialized, as it integrates these various methods to maximize the efficiency of its colonization efforts across different environmental conditions.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Holmskioldia sanguinea has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Oroxindin, Wogonin, betulinic acid.

Oroxindin

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Wogonin

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

betulinic acid

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR