Pseudarthria hookeri

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern concentrated within the West Tropical Africa region. It can be found growing in the territory of Benin. Furthermore, its presence extends into the nation of Burkina. The species is also documented throughout Ghana and Guinea-Bissau. Finally, its geographical range includes the country of Guinea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Pseudarthria hookeri is characterized by a versatile distribution across diverse landscape types, ranging from open grasslands and wooded grasslands to more densely covered bushed grasslands. This species is also frequently found in disturbed or transitional environments, such as old cultivation sites and moisture-rich swampy sites. It occupies a significant altitudinal gradient, thriving at elevations starting from as low as 30 m AMSL and extending up to a maximum of 1525 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

1525 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

30 m AMSL

Habitat :

grassland, wooded grassland, bushed grassland, old cultivations, swampy sites

Life history

The life history of Pseudarthria hookeri is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist across multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth strategy, it is classified as a phanerophyte, specifically exhibiting characteristics of both phanerophyte and nanophanerophyte life forms, which indicates that its regenerative buds are positioned above the ground level on aerial stems or branches.

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Pseudarthria hookeri is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub or herb that exhibits a self-supporting structure rather than acting as a climber. This plant is terrestrial in its habitat, functioning as an independent organism without parasitic or epiphytic tendencies. In terms of stature, it demonstrates significant variability in plant height, with measurements ranging from a minimum of 0.3 m to a maximum of approximately 3.05 m, maintaining an average height of 1.2 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

3.048037064 m

Plant height mean:

1.2 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Pseudarthria hookeri is fundamentally characterized by its carbon assimilation strategy, specifically utilizing a C3 photosynthetic pathway. As a C3 plant, the initial fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide occurs through the enzyme Rubisco, which reacts $CO_2$ with ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) to form two molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate, a three-carbon compound. This metabolic process is typical of many tropical and subtropical legumes, where the plant relies on stomatal conductance to regulate the intake of $CO_2$ and the transpiration of water. Because it lacks the specialized Kranz anatomy required for C4 photosynthesis or the temporal separation of carbon fixation seen in CAM metabolism, the efficiency of its photosynthetic rate is highly sensitive to environmental factors such as light intensity, temperature, and water availability, which directly influence the rate of photorespiration.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Pseudarthria hookeri is characterized by the production of seeds that exhibit specific morphological and weight-based dimensions. Based on empirical data, the seed mass of this species shows a relatively narrow range of variation, indicating a consistent investment in reproductive units. The mean seed mass is recorded at 0.002309375 g, with individual seeds ranging from a minimum weight of 0.0021 g to a maximum weight of 0.00291 g. These precise measurements of seed mass are critical components of its reproductive strategy, influencing dispersal capabilities and the initial energy reserves available to the germinating seedlings.

Seed mass max:

0.00291 g

Seed mass mean:

0.002309375 g

Seed mass min:

0.0021 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Pseudarthria hookeri 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 root.

Root

1. Die Pharmazie

Preparations

Pseudarthria hookeri has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanol extract of the roots.

Methanol extract of the roots

1. Die Pharmazie