purple witchweed

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• purple witchweed

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Striga hermonthica subsp. senegalensis
• Striga campuleia
• Buchnera hermonthica
• Striga senegalensis

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Lamiales. Furthermore, it is a member of the family Orobanchaceae and falls under the genus Striga.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Striga hermontica, exhibits a specific distribution across several key regions in Africa. In Northern Africa, its presence is documented within the borders of Egypt. Moving into West Tropical Africa, it is found in the country of Benin. The species also occupies territories in Burkina Faso and the Gambia. Finally, its geographical range extends through Ghana in the West Tropical African zone.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Striga hermontica is characterized by an annual lifecycle, completing its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. As a specialized parasitic plant, it adopts a therophyte life form, existing primarily as a seasonal ephemeral that survives through a prolific seed bank during unfavorable conditions. This classification as a therophyte is consistent across its biological stages, as the plant relies on rapid growth and immediate reproductive effort following the successful attachment to a host, rather than maintaining persistent vegetative structures like rhizomes or woody stems.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Striga hermontica is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. It is a terrestrial species that functions as an obligatory parasite, lacking the ability to grow independently of a host. In terms of stature, the plant is self-supporting rather than acting as a climber or liana. It exhibits a relatively low profile, with a plant height ranging from a minimum of 0.4 m to a maximum of 0.6 m, resulting in an average plant height of approximately 0.5524 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

obligatory

Plant height max:

0.6 m

Plant height mean:

0.552401853 m

Plant height min:

0.4 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Striga hermonthilica is characterized by its specialized parasitic lifestyle, which necessitates a complex biochemical signaling mechanism to initiate infection. The plant relies heavily on host-derived chemical cues, specifically strigolactones, to trigger the germination of its seeds in the rhizosphere. Once germination occurs, the physiological development shifts toward the formation of a haustorium, a specialized organ designed to penetrate host root tissues to establish a vascular connection. This connection allows the plant to divert water, minerals, and photoassimilates from the host to itself. Regarding its nutritional capabilities, Striga hermonthilica is not a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms, instead depending entirely on the host plant for its nitrogen requirements. This parasitic dependency dictates its entire metabolic strategy, prioritizing the rapid acquisition of host resources to support its reproductive cycle.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Striga hermonthiica is characterized by a specialized biological framework involving specific pollination mechanisms and seed characteristics. The plant relies on a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically utilizing insects as its primary pollinators to facilitate genetic exchange. Notably, self-fertilization is absent in this species, necessitating the involvement of these insect vectors for successful reproduction. The reproductive output is defined by extremely minute seeds, which exhibit a highly uniform mass; the seed mass is consistent across its minimum, mean, and maximum values, all recorded at 7.1e-06 g.

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass mean:

7.1e-06 g

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Striga hermonthica has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Cardiac Glycosides, Flavonoids, Saponins, Tannins.

Cardiac Glycosides

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences

Flavonoids

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences

Saponins

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences

Tannins

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences

Activities

Striga hermonthica has 2 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimalarial, Antiplasmodial.

Antimalarial

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences

Antiplasmodial

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences

Conditions

Striga hermonthica has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include malaria.

Malaria

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences

Preparations

Striga hermonthica has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanol extracts of Striga hermonthica (whole plant).

Methanol extracts of striga hermonthica (whole plant)

1. African journal of medicine and medical sciences