Cat's whiskers

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Java-tea
• cat's-whiskers
• whiskerplant
• Cat's Whiskers
• Java Tea

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Ocimum aristatum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Lamiales and the family Lamiaceae. Finally, it is specifically identified by its genus, Orthosiphon.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in Asia. Within China, it can be found growing in the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan areas. Its presence also extends to the island of Taiwan in Eastern Asia. Additionally, the species is documented within the Indian Subcontinent, specifically in the Assam region. Together, these locations highlight the diverse habitats where the plant thrives.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Orthosiphon aristatus is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth strategy, it is classified as a chamaephyte, a life form where the permanent buds are located close to the ground surface, often protected by leaf litter or soil. This combination of a long-lived lifecycle and a low-growing growth habit enables the species to establish stable populations within its natural habitat.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Orthosiphon aristatus is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. This terrestrial plant is independent, functioning as a non-parasitic organism rather than an obligate or facultative parasite. In terms of its physical stature, it is a self-supporting species that does not exhibit climbing tendencies like a liana or vine. The plant's height is relatively modest, typically ranging from a minimum of 0.2 m to a maximum of 0.5 m, with an average height of approximately 1 m. As a terrestrial species, it does not possess epiphytic characteristics, growing directly in the soil rather than as a holoepiphyte, hemiepiphyte, or other epiphytic forms.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.5 m

Plant height mean:

1 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Orthosiphon aristatus is characterized by specific morphological adaptations and metabolic traits related to its vegetative growth. The plant exhibits a varied leaf morphology, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 16 cm, and leaf widths spanning between 2 cm and 4.5 cm. Unlike many desert-adapted species, this plant does not exhibit succulence, indicating a physiological reliance on consistent moisture rather than specialized water-storage tissues within its leaves. Furthermore, its metabolic processes do not include the ability to function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on the availability of nitrogen within the soil substrate rather than symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria to support its nutritional requirements.

Leaf length max:

16 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

4.5 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

Reproduction in Orthosiphon aristatus is characterized by a diverse range of dispersal syndromes that facilitate its spread across various environments. The plant exhibits a multi-modal approach to seed dissemination, utilizing mechanisms that are anemochorous, relying on wind currents to transport seeds, as well as anthropochorous, where human activity inadvertently aids in its movement. Additionally, the species employs autochorous methods for self-dispersal and is capable of endozoochory and epizoochory, involving the passage or attachment of seeds to animals. Its reproductive strategy also encompasses hydrochorous dispersal via water bodies and myrmecocorous dispersal through interactions with ants. Ultimately, these various methods, including unspecialized and broader zoochorous patterns, ensure a robust reproductive cycle and effective colonization of new habitats.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Orthosiphon aristatus has 2 reported plant parts identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences
2. SpringerPlus
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Scientific reports

Stem

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Chemicals

Orthosiphon aristatus has 8 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include rosmarinic acid, Flavonoids, Methylripariochromene A, Verbascoside, apigenin.

rosmarinic acid

1. Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society
2. SpringerPlus
3. Life sciences
4. Scientific reports
5. Natural product communications

Flavonoids

1. SpringerPlus
2. Scientific reports

Methylripariochromene A

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Verbascoside

1. Heliyon

apigenin

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

flavonols

1. SpringerPlus

isoverbascoside

1. Heliyon

methanol

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Activities

Orthosiphon aristatus has 1 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Diuretic.

Diuretic

1. Planta medica

Conditions

Orthosiphon aristatus has 21 reported investigations on conditions identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include hypertension, NAFLD, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Liver cancer.

Hypertension

1. Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society
2. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
3. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin

Nafld

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society

Candida albicans

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Enterococcus faecalis

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Liver cancer

1. Fitoterapia

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Prostate cancer

1. Current issues in molecular biology

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Staphylococcus aureus

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Streptococcus mutans

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Orthosiphon aristatus has 7 reported preparations identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Ethanolic extracts, Orthosiphon aristatus extract, aqueous extracts, endophytic fungal extracts, extracts.

Ethanolic extracts

1. Fitoterapia

Orthosiphon aristatus extract

1. Life sciences

Aqueous extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Endophytic fungal extracts

1. PeerJ

Extracts

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Hexane extracts

1. Fitoterapia

Traditional herbal tea

1. SpringerPlus