Penthorum chinense

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Penthorum sedoides var. chinense
• Penthorum sedoides f. angustifolium
• Penthorum sedoides subsp. chinense
• Penthorum humile
• Penthorum intermedium

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Saxifrages, it is uniquely situated in the family Penthoraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Penthorum.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions in East Asia. Within the Russian Far East, it can be found specifically in the Khabarovsk and Primorye territories. Its range extends significantly into China, where it inhabits the Inner Mongolia region. Furthermore, the species is widely distributed throughout Manchuria. Finally, its presence is also noted in the South-Central areas of China.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Penthorum chinense is characterized by its ability to thrive in disturbed, moisture-rich environments, frequently colonizing diverse landscapes such as crop fields, rivers, and roadsides. As a species often associated with riparian and ruderal zones, it demonstrates a high degree of adaptability to varying levels of soil moisture and human-induced land changes. Its presence along riverbanks suggests a preference for damp or seasonally inundated substrates, while its ability to inhabit agricultural fields and roadsides indicates a resilience to nutrient fluctuations and moderate physical disturbances. This distribution pattern allows the plant to occupy ecological niches where water availability is consistent and light competition may be periodically interrupted by environmental shifts.

Habitat :

crop fields, rivers, roadsides

Life history

The life history of Penthorum chinense is characterized by its status as a perennial herb, allowing it to persist in its environment through multiple growing seasons. Its developmental cycle is marked by a variable lifecycle that can manifest as annual or biennial depending on environmental conditions and local ecological pressures. The plant establishes itself through a robust root system that facilitates long-term survival, enabling it to emerge repeatedly from the same site. During its active growth phases, it undergoes a reproductive cycle involving the production of inflorescences that facilitate seed dispersal, ensuring the continuation of its population across its typical wetland or moist habitat ranges.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Penthorum chinense is characterized by its growth as a non-woody herb, exhibiting a herbaceous form that is consistently non-woody in structure. The plant typically maintains an erect shoot orientation, growing upward from its base. In terms of stature, it is a relatively small plant, with a height that ranges from a minimum of 0.15 m to a maximum of 0.85 m.

Growth form :

herb

Plant height max:

0.85 m

Plant height min:

0.15 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Penthorum chinense is characterized by a specialized metabolic framework tailored to its semi-aquatic or wetland habitats. Central to its energy production is its photosynthetic pathway, which functions exclusively through the C3 mechanism. This means that during carbon fixation, the plant utilizes the enzyme Rubisco to incorporate atmospheric carbon dioxide into a three-carbon compound, typically 3-phosphoglycerate, via the Calvin cycle. This C3 pathway dictates its gas exchange dynamics and water-use efficiency, as the plant must balance CO2 uptake with transpiration rates to mitigate photorespiration, a common physiological constraint in C3 species. Furthermore, its physiological processes are closely linked to its ability to manage moisture and oxygen availability within saturated soils, supporting its metabolic requirements through efficient nutrient transport and cellular respiration adapted to seasonally fluctuating water levels.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Penthorum chinense is characterized by a specific seasonal flowering window and the production of minute seeds. The flowering period is concentrated in the month of August, though the timing can be variable depending on environmental conditions. During this reproductive phase, the plant produces seeds with a highly consistent and minimal mass; both the mean, maximum, and minimum seed mass are recorded at approximately 1e-05 g. This uniformity in seed size suggests a specialized dispersal strategy involving very lightweight progeny.

Flowering time :

Aug

Seed mass mean:

1e-05 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Penthorum chinense has 15 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include polyphenols, Flavonoids, quercetin, 2,4,6-Trihydroxybenzoic acid, Coumarins.

polyphenols

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
3. BioMed research international

Flavonoids

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. BioMed research international

quercetin

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

2,4,6-Trihydroxybenzoic acid

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Coumarins

1. BioMed research international

Gallic acid

1. Journal of Asian natural products research

Lignans

1. BioMed research international

Polysaccharide

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

Quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside

1. Journal of Asian natural products research

Sterols

1. BioMed research international

Activities

Penthorum chinense has 8 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antiaging, Antiapoptotic, Hepatoprotective, Antibacterial.

Antioxidant

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
2. Toxicology in vitro : an international journal published in association with BIBRA
3. Food & function

Antiaging

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
2. BioMed research international

Antiapoptotic

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
2. BioMed research international

Hepatoprotective

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. BioMed research international

Antibacterial

1. BioMed research international

Antidiabetic

1. BioMed research international

Antimelanogenic

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

Nephroprotective

1. BioMed research international

Medicinal Uses

Penthorum chinense has 19 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include edema, liver diseases, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, antioxidant, apoptosis.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations