devil's club

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• devil's club
• devil's walking-stick
• devil's-club
• devil’s-club

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Echinopanax horridus
• Aralia occidentalis
• Panax horridus
• Horsfieldia horrida
• Aralia erinacea
• Fatsia horrida
• Ricinophyllum americanum
• Ricinophyllum horridum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Apiales, it is classified under the family Araliaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is placed within the genus Oplopanax.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad distribution across the northern reaches of North America. Within the Subarctic American region, it can be found growing in both Alaska and the Yukon. Its presence extends into Western Canada, specifically throughout the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Additionally, the species is documented in the eastern part of the country within Ontario. These diverse locations highlight its ability to thrive across various Canadian and Alaskan landscapes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Oplopanax horridus is characterized by its classification as a perennial plant, ensuring its presence in the ecosystem across multiple growing seasons rather than completing its cycle in a single year. Structurally, this species exhibits a complex life form, functioning as both a phanerophyte and a nanophanerophyte, which indicates that its woody parts or persistent stems are held above the ground at varying heights. This dual classification reflects its growth habit, where it maintains visible stem structures that allow it to persist through seasonal changes.

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Oplopanax horridus is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, exhibiting a sturdy and robust structure. It is a terrestrial species, functioning independently without a parasitic or epiphytic lifestyle, as it is not an obligatory or facultative parasite nor a climbing epiphyte. Unlike lianas or vines, this plant is strictly self-supporting and does not exhibit climbing habits, whether obligatory or facultative. Its development is defined by its woodiness, distinguishing it from non-woody herbs or graminoids, and it thrives in terrestrial environments rather than aquatic or semiaquatic habitats.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Opoplax horridus is characterized by a metabolic framework driven by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and energy acquisition strategies. In this pathway, the enzyme Rubisco facilitates the initial carboxylation of CO2, leading to the direct formation of a three-carbon compound. This reliance on C3 metabolism implies that the plant's gas exchange and photosynthetic efficiency are highly sensitive to ambient temperature and moisture availability, often necessitating specific environmental conditions to optimize stomatal conductance and minimize photorespiration. The physiological regulation of its nutrient uptake and water transport is intrinsically linked to these carbon assimilation rates, influencing the overall biosynthetic production of its secondary metabolites.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Oplopanax horridus is facilitated through the production of small seeds that exhibit notable variability in their physical dimensions. The seed mass of this species is characterized by a mean value of 0.01864 g, reflecting the typical energy investment per propagule. However, there is a significant range in individual seed sizes, with the minimum recorded seed mass being as low as 0.00567 g and the maximum reaching up to 0.03161 g. This variation in mass suggests a diverse distribution of nutrient reserves within the seed population, which can influence germination success and early seedling establishment in its natural habitat.

Seed mass max:

0.03161 g

Seed mass mean:

0.01864 g

Seed mass min:

0.00567 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Oplopanax horridus has 2 reported plant parts identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root, stem.

Root

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Stem

1. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Oplopanax horridus has 13 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Oplopandiol, Falcarindiol, Oplopandiol acetate, Oplopantriol B, (3S,8S)-Falcarindiol.

Oplopandiol

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of natural products
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Falcarindiol

1. Journal of natural products
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Oplopandiol acetate

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Oplopantriol B

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of natural products

(3S,8S)-Falcarindiol

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Neroplofurol

1. Journal of natural products

Neroplomacrol

1. Journal of natural products

OH-1

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Oplopantriol A

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Polyacetylene

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Activities

Oplopanax horridus has 4 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antioxidant.

Antibacterial

1. Journal of natural products

Anticancer

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antidiabetic

1. Journal of natural products

Antioxidant

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Medicinal Uses

Oplopanax horridus has 14 reported medicinal uses identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include cancer, ovarian cancer, Candida, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, acute myeloid leukemia.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations