Lemon bush

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• lemonbush
• Fever Tea
• Fever Tree
• Lippia
• Wild Tea
• Wild-Tea

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Blairia javanica
• Lippia whytei
• Lantana galpiniana
• Lippia indica
• Lantana lavandulacea
• Lippia scabra
• Lippia capensis
• Phyla javanica
• Zappania javanica
• Zappania odoratissima
• Verbena javanica
• Verbena capensis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Lippia javaica, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae within the order Lamiales. Finally, it is a member of the family Verbenaceae and falls under the genus Lippia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad distribution across several key regions of the African continent. Within West-Central Tropical Africa, its presence is noted in both the Central African Republic and the DR Congo. Moving toward the northeast, the species is also found in Ethiopia. Its range extends further into East Tropical Africa, where it inhabits Kenya. Finally, the plant is documented as being native to Tanzania.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lippia javanica is characterized by a broad environmental adaptability, allowing it to occupy a diverse range of ecosystems across varying altitudes. It thrives in a wide elevational gradient, ranging from as low as 5 m AMSL to a maximum altitude of 1920 m AMSL. Its preferred habitats are varied, encompassing scrub bushland, grassy rocky hillsides, and specific vegetation types such as Brachystegia and Combretum woodlands. Additionally, the species is frequently found in forest clearings and plantations, and it exhibits opportunistic growth patterns as a weed in derived rangelands.

Elevational range max:

1920 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

5 m AMSL

Habitat :

scrub bushland, grassy rocky hillsides, Brachystegia, Combretum woodland, forest clearings and plantations, weed in derived rangelands

Life history

The life history of Lippia javaica is characterized by its classification as a perennial species, allowing it to persist across multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth habit and ecological positioning, it exhibits characteristics of both nanophanerophyte and phanerophyte life forms, reflecting its capacity to maintain woody or semi-woody structures that support its developmental stages over time.

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lippia javanica is characterized by a woody growth form, functioning as a self-supporting shrub. It is a terrestrial plant that operates independently, without parasitic or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant variability in size, with a height ranging from a minimum of 0.69 m to a maximum of 5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

5 m

Plant height min:

0.69 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lippia javaica is characterized by its metabolic efficiency and adaptation to specific environmental stressors. A fundamental aspect of its physiological makeup is its photosynthetic pathway, which follows the C3 mechanism. This C3 pathway involves the direct fixation of carbon dioxide by the enzyme RuBisCO during the Calvin cycle, a process that dictates the plant's water-use efficiency and its response to varying light intensities and temperature fluctuations. Through this metabolic route, the plant converts solar energy into chemical energy, driving the synthesis of organic compounds necessary for growth and the production of its characteristic secondary metabolites. This carbon assimilation process is closely integrated with the plant's transpiration rates and nutrient uptake, allowing it to maintain cellular homeostasis within its native ecological niches.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lippia javaica is characterized by the production of minute seeds that exhibit specific weight variations. The seed mass within this species shows a mean value of 0.000492 g, indicating a highly lightweight seed structure typical of many members of the Verbenaceae family. Detailed measurements of these seeds reveal a range of mass, with the smallest recorded seed weighing 0.00035 g and the largest reaching a maximum of 0.00074 g. This distribution of seed mass suggests a level of variability in nutrient provisioning or size during the developmental stages of the embryo.

Seed mass max:

0.00074 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000492 g

Seed mass min:

0.00035 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Lippia javanica has 3 reported plant parts identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, flower, stem.

Leaf

1. Scientific reports
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
5. Phytochemistry

Flower

1. Phytochemistry

Stem

1. Phytochemistry

Chemicals

Lippia javanica has 38 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, 7-Epi-12-hydroxyjasmonic acid, Catechin 7-glucoside, Myrcenone, apigenin.

Flavonoids

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)

7-Epi-12-hydroxyjasmonic acid

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)

Catechin 7-glucoside

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Myrcenone

1. Dr. Duke
2. Natural product research

apigenin

1. Natural product research
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

3-O-Methylkaempferol

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

4-ethyl-nonacosane

1. Natural product research

Caryophyllene

1. Dr. Duke

Caryoptosidic acid

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Cirsimaritin

1. Natural product research

Activities

Lippia javanica has 120 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, ACE-Inhibitor, Acaricide, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Allergenic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Pharmacognosy magazine

ACE-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Acaricide

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke

Anesthetic

1. Dr. Duke

Antiacetylcholinesterase

1. Dr. Duke

Antiacne

1. Dr. Duke

Antiallergic

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Lippia javanica has 16 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, inflammation, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations