Litsea acutivena

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Tetradenia acutivena
• Tetradenia nakaii
• Litsea elongata var. acutivena
• Litsea nakaii
• Litsea naufoensis
• Actinodaphne nakaii
• Actinodaphne acutivena

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 organized under the order Laurales and the family Lauraceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Litsea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse range of habitats across several key regions in Asia. In China, its presence is documented throughout the South-Central and Southeast provinces. It can also be found specifically on the island of Hainan. Moving eastward, the species is distributed across Taiwan within Eastern Asia. Finally, its geographical reach extends into Indo-China, specifically within the borders of Cambodia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Litsea acuactivena is defined by its specific vertical distribution within montane ecosystems, where it occupies a broad altitudinal gradient. This species is primarily found across a diverse range of elevations, spanning from a minimum of 500 m AMSL to a maximum of 2500 m AMSL. Within this ecological niche, the plant reaches its optimal environmental conditions at a mean elevation of approximately 1500 m AMSL, suggesting a preference for mid-elevation montane habitats that likely provide the specific temperature and moisture regimes necessary for its growth and medicinal potency.

Elevational range max:

2500 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

500 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Litsea acuitiveana is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence within its ecosystem. Throughout its existence, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, ensuring that its foliage remains functional and present year-round rather than undergoing a seasonal shedding process. This combination of a perennial lifecycle and evergreen deciduousness enables the plant to engage in continuous physiological processes, providing a stable structural component to its natural habitat.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Litsea acuitivea is characterized by its growth form as a tree, reaching an average plant height of approximately 7 m. This species exhibits a woody structure, contributing to its robust physical presence within its habitat. Regarding its climbing habits, it is classified as a self-supporting plant, maintaining its upright stature without the need for external support structures.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

tree

Plant height mean:

7 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiological structure of the foliage in Litsea acuiveana exhibits significant morphological variability, particularly regarding the dimensions of its leaf blades. The leaf length demonstrates a broad developmental range, with minimum measurements recorded at 4 cm and a mean length of 7.5 cm, reaching a maximum extent of 11 cm. Complementing this longitudinal variance, the leaf width shows a specific proportional range, maintaining a minimum width of 2 cm and expanding to a maximum width of 4 cm. These dimensional fluctuations suggest a dynamic growth pattern within the plant's canopy, where leaf surface area is optimized through these specific length and width parameters to facilitate efficient physiological processes.

Leaf length max:

11 cm

Leaf length mean:

7.5 cm

Leaf length min:

4 cm

Leaf width max:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction of Litsea acuivejna is characterized by the development of distinct fruits that exhibit specific morphological dimensions. The fruit size varies within a defined range, with lengths measuring between a minimum of 1.2 cm and a maximum of 2 cm, resulting in an average fruit length of 1.6 cm. In terms of width, the fruits range from a minimum of 1 cm to a maximum of 1.2 cm, maintaining a mean width of 1.1 cm. These dimensions reflect the structural variability of the fruit during its reproductive cycle.

Fruit length max:

2 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.6 cm

Fruit length min:

1.2 cm

Fruit width max:

1.2 cm

Fruit width mean:

1.1 cm

Fruit width min:

1 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Litsea acutivena has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Journal of natural products

Activities

Litsea acutivena has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic.

Cytotoxic

1. Journal of natural products