buff quandong

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• buff quandong
• grey quandong

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Actephila mearsii

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and is classified under the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and order Oxalidales, it is situated in the family Elaeocarpaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Peripentadenia, specifically as the species Peripentadenia mearsii.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific geographical distribution concentrated within the Oceania and Australasia regions. Its primary habitat is located in the Papuasian territory of New Guinea. Additionally, the species can be found extending into the northern parts of Australia. Specifically, it inhabits the tropical environment of Queensland. These locations define the known natural range for this medicinal species.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Morphology

The morphology of Peripentadenia mearsiii is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically manifesting as a tree. It functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite, and it is categorized as a terrestrial plant, lacking aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies. In terms of its structural habit, it is a self-supporting species, characterized by its ability to maintain its own stature without the need for climbing as an obligatory or facultative vine or liana.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Peripentadenia mearsii is characterized by a metabolic framework centered around the C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and water-use efficiency. Through this C3 mechanism, the plant utilizes the enzyme Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) to directly fix atmospheric carbon dioxide into three-carbon organic compounds during the Calvin cycle. This physiological reliance on C3 photosynthesis implies that the plant's gas exchange and energy production are highly sensitive to environmental variables such as light intensity, ambient temperature, and moisture availability, as the lack of specialized CO2-concentrating mechanisms makes it susceptible to photorespiration under high-temperature or water-stressed conditions. Consequently, its physiological performance and biomass accumulation are closely tied to its ability to maintain optimal stomatal conductance to balance CO2 uptake with transpirational water loss.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Peripentadenia mearsii is characterized by specific morphological parameters regarding its seed production. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a highly uniform physical profile, with a consistent seed mass that is recorded at a mean of 0.78 g, a value that remains constant across both the minimum and maximum observed measurements of 0.78 g. In addition to this precise mass, the seeds maintain a strictly standardized volume; the seed volume is measured at a constant 1300 mm³, representing the minimum, maximum, and mean values recorded for the species. This lack of variance in both mass and volume suggests a highly controlled reproductive process resulting in seeds of very predictable dimensions.

Seed mass mean:

0.78 g

Seed volume max:

1300 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Peripentadenia mearsii has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Peripentadenia mearsii has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Peripentonine A, Peripentonine B, mearsamine, peripentadenine, peripentonine C.

Peripentonine A

1. Journal of natural products

Peripentonine B

1. Journal of natural products

mearsamine

1. Journal of natural products

peripentadenine

1. Journal of natural products

peripentonine C

1. Journal of natural products