African nutmeg

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Myristica angolensis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Magnoliales. Finally, it is a member of the family Myristicaceae, falling under the genus Pycnanthus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across the West Tropical Africa region. Its natural habitat includes several specific countries throughout this diverse landscape. For instance, it can be found growing in the territories of Benin and Ghana. The species also extends its range into Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Additionally, its geographical presence is confirmed within the borders of Ivory Coast.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Pycnanthus angolensis is fundamentally defined by its occurrence within primary and old secondary forest ecosystems. As a species adapted to these stable, complex environments, it thrives in the shaded, humid, and nutrient-rich understories characteristic of mature tropical moist forests. Its presence in old secondary forests indicates a capacity to persist in successional stages where the canopy has sufficiently closed to recreate the microclimatic conditions of a primary forest, such as stabilized soil moisture and filtered light regimes. By inhabiting these specific forest types, the plant plays an integral role in the structural and biological complexity of the forest floor, relying on the established ecological niches provided by long-standing arboreal communities.

Habitat :

primary and old secondary forest

Life history

The life history of Pycnanthus angolensis is characterized by its status as a perennial organism, ensuring a long-term presence within its natural ecosystem. As a phanerophyte, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs on elevated woody branches, a life form that allows it to occupy higher vertical strata in its habitat. This structural strategy is complemented by its evergreen nature, as the plant retains its foliage throughout the year rather than undergoing a seasonal shedding period. Through its development as both a phanerophyte and a persistent perennial, the species establishes a stable and enduring biological existence.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Pycnanthus angolensis is characterized by its stature as a large, woody tree, exhibiting a growth form that is entirely self-supporting rather than acting as a climber, vine, or liana. This species reaches significant dimensions in the forest canopy, with an average plant height of approximately 27.5 m and a maximum recorded height of up to 36.576 m. As a terrestrial organism, it is neither aquatic nor semiaquatic, nor does it exhibit epiphytic tendencies such as being a holoepiphyte or hemiepiphyte; instead, it maintains an independent existence as a non-parasitic, independent plant. Its structural integrity is defined by its woody nature, supporting its substantial vertical development within its natural habitat.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

36.57644477 m

Plant height mean:

27.5 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Pycnanthus angolensis is characterized by a metabolic framework utilizing the C3 photosynthetic pathway, which involves the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide through the Calvin cycle without the specialized carbon-concentrating mechanisms found in C4 or CAM plants. This metabolic strategy dictates its resource requirements and environmental adaptations, particularly regarding transpiration rates and water-use efficiency. Furthermore, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, necessitating a reliance on organic or inorganic nitrogen sources present within the soil matrix for its nutritional development and protein synthesis.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Pycnanthus angolenis is characterized by a highly variable flowering period that can occur across any month of the year, from January through December. The fruiting process typically begins in January and concludes by February, though this timeline remains variable. The plant produces dry fruits of an unspecified type (classified under "other" botanical categories) that are primarily dispersed via a zoochorous syndrome, specifically through endozoochory, meaning the seeds are dispersed after being ingested by animals. The seeds themselves are relatively uniform in size, possessing a mean seed mass of 1.909 g (ranging from a minimum of 1.818 g to a maximum of 2 g) and a consistent seed volume of 1900 mm³.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Flowering time :

variable

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit type :

other

Fruiting time :

Jan

Fruiting time :

Feb

Seed mass max:

2 g

Seed mass mean:

1.909 g

Seed mass min:

1.818 g

Seed volume max:

1900 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Pycnanthus angolensis has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include stem.

Stem

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis

Chemicals

Pycnanthus angolensis has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Pycnanthuquinone A, Prunetin, Pycnanthuquinone B, Pycnanthuquinone C.

Pycnanthuquinone A

1. The Journal of organic chemistry
2. Structural chemistry

Prunetin

1. Drug metabolism and bioanalysis letters

Pycnanthuquinone B

1. The Journal of organic chemistry

Pycnanthuquinone C

1. Structural chemistry

Activities

Pycnanthus angolensis has 1 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial.

Antimicrobial

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Conditions

Pycnanthus angolensis has 10 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include COVID-19, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, SARS-CoV-2, Salmonella typhi.

Covid-19

1. Structural chemistry

Escherichia coli

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Sars-cov-2

1. Structural chemistry

Salmonella typhi

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Staphylococcus aureus

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Staphylococcus saprophyticus

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Cancer

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Tuberculosis

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Type 2 diabetes

1. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics

Preparations

Pycnanthus angolensis has 5 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Aqueous extracts, bark, crude sap, extracts, stem bark.

Aqueous extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Bark

1. Natural product communications

Crude sap

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Stem bark

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM