Purple Worm Bush

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Purple Worm Bush
• Rerrer Vine
• Shower Bell
• Worry Vine
• Jamaica Vervain
• Brazilian-tea
• Indian snakeweed
• Jamaica-vervain
• Jamaican porterweed
• Jamaican snakeweed
• bastard-vervain
• blue porterweed
• blue snakeweed
• pale blue snakeweed
• Jamaica Snakeweed
• Snakeweed
• joee

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Verbena pilosiuscula
• Zappania jamaicensis
• Abena jamaicensis
• Verbena jamaicensis
• Verbena americana
• Valerianoides jamaicensis
• Stachytarpheta indica f. monstrosa
• Stachytarpheta indica var. jamaicensis
• Valerianoides jamaicensis var. angustifolia
• Stachytarpheta jamaicensis f. atrocoerulea
• Valerianoides jamaicensis f. glabra
• Stachytarpheta jamaicensis f. monstrosa
• Valerianoides jamaicensis var. spathulata
• Stachytarpheta jamaicensis var. longifolia
• Valerianoides jamaicensis f. strigosa
• Stachytarpheta jamaicensis f. monstrosa
• Stachytarpheta bogoriensis
• Stachytarpheta pilosiuscula

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It falls under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Lamiales, eventually reaching its specific classification in the family Verbenaceae. Within this family, it is identified by the genus Stachytarpheta and the species S. jamaicensis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several regions of the African continent. In West Tropical Africa, its presence is specifically documented within the Ivory Coast. Moving into West-Central Tropical Africa, the species can be found in Burundi and the Central African Republic. It also inhabits the forested areas of Gabon. Finally, its range extends to the islands located within the Gulf of Guinea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Stachytarpheta jamaicenensis is characterized by its adaptability across a broad vertical gradient, spanning an elevational range from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum of 2000 m AMSL. This species demonstrates a versatile distribution pattern, frequently inhabiting anthropogenic areas (Área Antrópica) as well as specialized palm groves (Palmeiral). This ability to persist in both disturbed human-modified landscapes and specific natural palm-dominated ecosystems highlights its ecological plasticity across diverse altitudinal strata.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Área Antrópica, Palmeiral

Life history

The life history of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is characterized by a complex growth strategy that encompasses multiple developmental stages. As a perennial species, the plant maintains its presence in the ecosystem over multiple growing seasons, exhibiting a lifecycle that can be categorized as variable depending on environmental stability. Its structural organization and survival mechanisms are defined by distinct life forms; it functions as a therophyte, typically completing its seasonal growth cycle through specialized dormant stages, while also exhibiting characteristics of a chamaephyte, where its perennating buds are situated close to or just above the soil surface.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. This terrestrial plant reaches a maximum height of 1 meter, with a mean plant height of approximately 1 meter. It functions as a self-supporting organism, exhibiting neither climbing nor epiphytic tendencies, as it remains strictly terrestrial rather than behaving as a liana, vine, or hemi-epiphyte. Furthermore, the species is an independent organism, showing no parasitic characteristics.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency under standard environmental conditions. The plant does not exhibit succulence, indicating a lack of specialized thickened tissues for significant water storage within its vegetative structures. Furthermore, it does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, relying instead on external soil nutrient availability.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis is characterized by the production of highly uniform seeds, with a recorded seed mass that remains constant at a mean, minimum, and maximum value of 0.00236 g. The dispersal of these seeds is primarily driven by zoochory, meaning they rely on animals for movement away from the parent plant. Specifically, the plant exhibits an epizoochorous dispersal syndrome, where seeds are transported by adhering to the external surfaces of animals as they pass through the habitat.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

epizoochorous

Seed mass mean:

0.00236 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis has 3 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CHLOROGENIC ACID, Tarphetalin, dopamine.

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke

Tarphetalin

1. Dr. Duke

dopamine

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis has 94 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Adrenergic, Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor, Allelochemic, Allergenic.

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current diabetes reviews

Adrenergic

1. Dr. Duke

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Allelochemic

1. Dr. Duke

Allergenic

1. Dr. Duke

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke

AntiEBV

1. Dr. Duke

AntiHIV

1. Dr. Duke

AntiLegionella

1. Dr. Duke

Antiatherosclerotic

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Stachytarpheta jamaicensis has 2 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include diabetes mellitus, milk let-down.

Diabetes mellitus

1. Current diabetes reviews

Milk let-down

1. Preventive veterinary medicine