huntaria

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• huntaria

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Gynopogon lanceolatus
• Hunteria africana
• Hunteria corymbosa
• Cameraria zeylanica
• Hunteria corymbosa var. zeylanica
• Tabernaemontana salicifolia
• Hunteria roxburghiana
• Hunteria corymbosa var. salicifolia
• Hunteria lanceolata
• Hunteria corymbosa var. roxburghiana
• Hunteria legocii
• Hunteria zeylanica var. africana
• Hunteria zeylanica var. salicifolia

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Gentianaales and falls into the family Apocynaceae. Finally, it is specifically categorized under the genus Hunteria.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution that spans across several regions of Africa and Asia. In Northeast Tropical Africa, it can be found growing in Somalia. Its presence extends further through East Tropical Africa, where it inhabits both Kenya and Tanzania. Additionally, the species is located in South Tropical Africa within the country of Mozambique. Beyond the African continent, its range reaches as far as Hainan in China.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Hunteria zeylanica is characterized by its ability to thrive in diverse and varied terrestrial environments across its native range. It is commonly found inhabiting coastal bushland, woodland, dry forest, or growing along the banks of rivers. This distribution indicates a high level of adaptability to different moisture regimes, ranging from the relatively stable hydration found in riparian zones to the more seasonal or arid conditions typical of dry forests and coastal scrublands. Such varied habitats suggest that the species can occupy multiple ecological niches, benefiting from the shade of woodland canopies as well as the distinct microclimates provided by riverine corridors.

Habitat :

coastal bushland, woodland, dry forest or along rivers

Life history

The life history of Hunteria zeylanica is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring long-term survival within its ecological niche. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive shoots are elevated well above the ground, typically manifesting as a woody tree or shrub. This species maintains an evergreen deciduousness, meaning it retains its foliage throughout the year, providing a continuous canopy that supports its metabolic processes across different seasons.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Hunteria zeylanica is characterized by its stature as a woody, self-supporting tree. It functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte, and is strictly terrestrial in its growth habit. This species exhibits significant vertical development, with a mean plant height of approximately 7.67 meters, though it is capable of reaching a maximum height of up to 15 meters.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

15 m

Plant height mean:

7.66666666666667 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Hunteria zeylanica is characterized by specific morphological dimensions of its foliage and its distinct metabolic relationship with soil nutrients. The leaves exhibit a variable size distribution, with a mean length of 12.5 cm and a minimum length of 9 cm, reaching a maximum length of up to 16 cm. In terms of lateral expansion, the leaf width ranges from a minimum of 2.5 cm to a maximum of 5 cm, maintaining a mean width of 3.75 cm. Regarding its nutrient acquisition processes, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, indicating that it relies on the uptake of available nitrogen from the soil rather than through symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Leaf length max:

16 cm

Leaf length mean:

12.5 cm

Leaf length min:

9 cm

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

3.75 cm

Leaf width min:

2.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Hunteria zeylanica has 2 reported plant parts identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Journal of natural products
2. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Stem

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Chemicals

Hunteria zeylanica has 12 reported phytochemicals identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include (-)-Eburnamine, (-)-Eburnamonine, (-)-eburnamenine, 3-Epivobasinol, Corymine.

(-)-Eburnamine

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

(-)-Eburnamonine

1. Journal of Asian natural products research

(-)-eburnamenine

1. Journal of Asian natural products research

3-Epivobasinol

1. Journal of natural products

Corymine

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Dihydrocorynantheol

1. Journal of natural products

Eburnamine

1. Journal of Asian natural products research

Geissoschizol

1. Journal of natural products

Hunterioside

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Pleiomutinine

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Activities

Hunteria zeylanica has 2 reported activities identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antinociceptive, Antipyretic.

Antinociceptive

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Antipyretic

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Conditions

Hunteria zeylanica has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include capillary permeability.

Capillary permeability

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Preparations

Hunteria zeylanica has 6 reported preparations identified across 3 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include alkaloid extract from the stem bark, aqueous MeOH extract, bark of Hunteria zeylanica, butanol- and chloroform-fractions, crude alkaloids extracted from the stem bark.

Alkaloid extract from the stem bark

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Aqueous meoh extract

1. Journal of natural products

Bark of hunteria zeylanica

1. The Journal of organic chemistry

Butanol- and chloroform-fractions

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Crude alkaloids extracted from the stem bark

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Crude methanol extract

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin