Maytenus woodsonii

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Salacia blepharodes
• Maytenus vulcanicola
• Maytenus blepharodes

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it falls under the order Celastrales and the family Celastraceae. It is further identified by the genus Maytenus, specifically as the species Maytenus woodsonii.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution across the tropical regions of the Americas. Within Central America, its range extends through the country of Costa Rica. It can also be found further south in the nation of Panamá. Moving into Western South America, the species is documented in Colombia. These locations highlight its presence in diverse neotropical environments.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Maytenus woodsonii is characterized by its broad adaptability to diverse altitudinal gradients, allowing it to inhabit a wide variety of environmental conditions. It exhibits a significant vertical distribution, ranging from sea level at 0 m AMSL to high-altitude environments reaching up to 3320 m AMSL. This extensive elevational range suggests that the species can thrive in both lowland tropical or subtropical zones and significantly cooler, montane ecosystems. Such ecological plasticity enables the plant to occupy various niches across different topographic landscapes, responding to the varying temperature, moisture, and atmospheric pressure regimes found between these disparate elevations.

Elevational range max:

3320 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Morphology

The morphology of Maytenus woodsonii is characterized by a primarily woody structure, exhibiting a growth form that can vary between a shrub and a tree. It is a terrestrial species, functioning as an independent organism rather than a parasite, and it does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies. While it possesses self-supporting characteristics rather than acting as an obligatory or facultative climber such as a liana or vine, its physical stature is defined by its robust, woody development. Furthermore, it is strictly a terrestrial plant, lacking any epiphytic habits such as being a holoepiphyte, hemiepiphyte, or facultative epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Maytenus woodsonii has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Pristimerin, Xuxuarine Ealpha.

Pristimerin

1. Journal of natural products

Xuxuarine Ealpha

1. Journal of natural products