Ampelopsis cantoniensis (Q11064724)

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Vitis cantoniensis
• Ampelopsis cantoniensis
• Ampelopsis leeoides
• Ampelopsis cantoniensis var. harmandii
• Ampelopsis annamensis
• Leea theifera
• Vitis multijugata
• Cissus cantoniensis
• Nekemias hypoglauca
• Hedera hypoglauca
• Ampelopsis hypoglauca

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Nekemias cantoniensis, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Vitales and the family Vitaceae. It is further categorized under the genus Nekemias.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical range across several distinct regions of East Asia. In China, its presence is documented across South-Central, Southeast, and the island of Hainan. Furthermore, the species can be found in the high-altitude terrains of Tibet. Beyond mainland China, the plant's distribution extends to the island nation of Japan. Together, these locations highlight its wide ecological footprint throughout the Eastern Asian landscape.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Nekemias cantoniensis is closely tied to specific altitudinal gradients, primarily thriving within lowland to sub-montane environments. This species is most commonly found at a mean elevation of 375 m AMSL, indicating a preference for lower-altitude terrains. Its distribution spans a vertical range starting from a minimum elevation of 150 m AMSL and extending up to a maximum threshold of 600 m AMSL. This specific elevational window suggests that the plant is adapted to the particular temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure regimes characteristic of these mid-to-low altitude tropical or subtropical zones.

Elevational range max:

600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

375 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

150 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Nekemias cantoniensis is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and maintain a stable presence within its ecological niche. Throughout its existence, the plant maintains an evergreen habit, ensuring that its foliage remains functional and photosynthetic for much of the year rather than undergoing a seasonal shedding process. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and continuous leaf retention enables the species to sustain consistent metabolic activity across various environmental conditions.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Nekemias cantoniensis is characterized by a woody structure that functions as a liana, exhibiting an obligatory climbing habit to navigate its environment. While it can be found in aquatic, semiaquatic, or terrestrial habitats, it maintains a terrestrial orientation in its growth pattern. Although it can present a shrub-like growth form and is classified as a shrub in terms of its physical stature, it remains an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

liana

Climber :

obligatory

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Nekemias cantoniensis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic efficiency and carbon fixation processes. The leaf morphology plays a critical role in its physiological regulation, featuring an elliptic leaf form with distinct toothed margins. The foliage exhibits significant dimensional variability, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 2.5 cm to a maximum of 11 cm, maintaining an average length of approximately 5.625 cm. Similarly, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 1 cm and a maximum of 6 cm, with a mean width of 3 cm. Structurally, the leaves are devoid of protective morphological adaptations such as thorns or spines, focusing instead on surface area optimization for gas exchange and light absorption within its specific ecological niche.

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

11 cm

Leaf length mean:

5.625 cm

Leaf length min:

2.5 cm

Leaf margin :

toothed

Leaf spines :

no

Leaf thorns :

no

Leaf width max:

6 cm

Leaf width mean:

3 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Nekemias cantoniensis is characterized by specific floral and seed morphological traits. The plant produces inflorescences that vary in length, ranging from a minimum of 0.015 m to a maximum of 0.03 m. The resulting fruits are described as being fleshy in nature. The seeds produced are highly uniform in their physical dimensions, maintaining a consistent seed volume of 55 mm³, which serves as both the minimum, maximum, and mean volume. Furthermore, the seed mass exhibits no variance in the recorded data, with a consistent mass of 0.00885 g acting as the minimum, maximum, and mean value.

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Inflorescence length max:

0.03 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.015 m

Seed mass mean:

0.00885 g

Seed volume max:

55 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Nekemias cantoniensis has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Ampelopsin, myricetin.

Ampelopsin

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

myricetin

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials