Malpighia emarginata

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning across different continents. In the Southwestern Pacific region, it can be found specifically in New Caledonia. Its presence in Mexico is quite extensive, covering the Northeast and the Gulf regions. Furthermore, it is widely distributed across the Northwest and Southwest territories of Mexico. This widespread occurrence highlights the varied environments where the species thrives.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Malpighia emarginata is characterized by its ability to inhabit a broad altitudinal spectrum, allowing it to thrive in diverse topographical landscapes. This species demonstrates significant environmental adaptability, distributed across an elevational range that begins at sea level (0 m AMSL) and extends upward to a maximum altitude of 1600 m AMSL. This wide vertical distribution suggests that the plant can tolerate varying temperature gradients and atmospheric pressures, ranging from lowland tropical or subtropical conditions to the cooler, more montane environments found at higher elevations. Such ecological plasticity enables the species to colonize a variety of niches within its native range, potentially interacting with a diverse array of soil types and microclimates found between these two extremes.

Elevational range max:

1600 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Malpighia emarginata is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and maintain a stable presence in its natural habitat. Throughout its development, the species exhibits an evergreen habit, meaning it retains its foliage year-round rather than shedding leaves seasonally. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and continuous leaf cover enables the plant to engage in sustained metabolic processes and consistent photosynthetic activity across various environmental conditions.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Malpighia emarginata is characterized by a woody growth form that can manifest as both a shrub and a tree. It is a terrestrial plant that functions as an independent organism, meaning it does not act as a parasite. In terms of its physical stature, the plant reaches a mean height of approximately 4 m, though it is capable of attaining a maximum height of up to 7 m. Although it possesses the structural capability to be self-supporting, it is categorized as a self-supporting climber rather than an obligatory or facultative vine or liana. Furthermore, it is strictly a terrestrial species, lacking any epiphytic or aquatic characteristics.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

7 m

Plant height mean:

4 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Malpighia emarginata is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating its reliance on the standard Calvin cycle for carbon fixation. Its structural and resource-use efficiency can be assessed through its leaf and stem metrics; the plant exhibits a Specific Leaf Area (SLA) with a mean, minimum, and maximum value of 110.1 cm²/g, suggesting a relatively consistent leaf morphology. The Leaf Dry Matter Content (LDMC) is also uniform, maintaining a mean, minimum, and maximum of 400 mg/g, which reflects the density of organic matter within its leaf tissues. Regarding its woody architecture, the Stem Specific Density (SSD) remains constant at a mean, minimum, and maximum of 780 mg/cm³. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic capabilities to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form.

Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) mean:

400 mg/g

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) min:

110.1 cm²/g

Stem specific density (SSD) min:

780 mg/cm³

Reproduction

The reproduction of Malpighia emarginata is characterized by the production of fleshy fruits that serve as the primary vessel for seed dispersal. These fleshy fruits contain seeds that exhibit a highly consistent volume, with both the minimum and maximum recorded values, as well as the mean volume, fixed at 23 mm³. While the volume remains uniform, the seed mass shows greater variability, ranging from a minimum of 0.0044 g to a maximum of 0.02947 g, resulting in an overall average seed mass of 0.013775 g. This combination of fleshy fruit morphology and specific seed dimensions facilitates the plant's reproductive cycle and subsequent propagation.

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Seed mass max:

0.02947 g

Seed mass mean:

0.013775 g

Seed mass min:

0.0044 g

Seed volume max:

23 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Malpighia emarginata 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 fruit.

Fruit

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Preparations

Malpighia emarginata has 2 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include EMe, extract.

Eme

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Extract

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology