Spiny Monkey Orange

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Spiny Monkey Orange
• Kaffir-orange
• Natal-orange
• monkey-orange
• spiny monkey-orange
• Elephant-Orange
• Green Monkey-Orange
• Monkey orange
• Monkeyball
• Sweet Monkey-Orange
• Wild Calabashtree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Brehmia spinosa
• Strychnos flacurtii
• Strychnos harmsii
• Strychnos sansibariensis
• Strychnos gracillima
• Strychnos buettneri
• Strychnos carvalhoi
• Strychnos cardiophylla
• Strychnos gilletii
• Strychnos euryphylla
• Strychnos omphalocarpa
• Strychnos mueghe
• Strychnos schweinfurthii
• Strychnos emarginata
• Strychnos cuneifolia
• Strychnos djalonis
• Strychnos leiosepala
• Strychnos laxa
• Strychnos rhombifolia
• Strychnos miniungansamba
• Strychnos megalocarpa
• Strychnos radiosperma
• Strychnos lokua
• Strychnos volkensii
• Strychnos volkensii
• Strychnos vuntac
• Strychnos tonga
• Strychnos spinosa subsp. lokua
• Strychnos spinosa subsp. volkensii
• Strychnos spinosa var. pubescens
• Strychnos unguacha var. retusa
• Strychnos gracillima var. paucispinosa

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Gentianales and the family Loganiaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Strychnos.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across the diverse landscapes of West Tropical Africa. Specifically, its presence can be recorded within the borders of Benin. It also thrives in the environmental conditions found in Burkina. Furthermore, the species extends its range into the nation of Gambia. Finally, its geographical footprint includes the coastal regions of Ghana and Guinea-Bissau.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Strychnos spinosa is characterized by its adaptability to diverse terrestrial environments, primarily thriving within wooded grasslands, woodlands, bushland, thickets, and the margins of dry forests. This species exhibits a significant vertical distribution across varying landscapes, occupying an elevational range that begins at a low altitude of 5 m AMSL and extends up to a maximum of 1465 m AMSL. This broad altitudinal span allows the plant to inhabit a variety of ecological niches, from lowland scrublands to higher-elevation forest edges.

Elevational range max:

1465 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

5 m AMSL

Habitat :

wooded grassland, woodland, bushland, thicket, dry forest margin

Life history

The life history of Strychnos spinosa is characterized by its status as a perennial species, ensuring its long-term presence within its ecosystem. As a phanerophyte, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs at a significant height above the ground, utilizing a structural growth habit that allows it to thrive in its natural habitat. Its development is further defined by a deciduous nature, meaning it undergoes a seasonal shedding of its leaves, a physiological adaptation often linked to environmental cycles or moisture availability. This combination of a long-lived perennial lifecycle, a phanerophyte life form, and deciduousness dictates its seasonal rhythms and structural persistence in the wild.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Strychnos spinosa is characterized by a woody growth form that primarily manifests as a tree or a shrub. As a terrestrial plant, it functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte. The plant exhibits varying dimensions in its stature, with a height ranging from a minimum of 1 meter to a maximum of 10 meters, maintaining an average height of approximately 7 meters. Although it possesses self-supporting structural characteristics, it is categorized within the climbing spectrum as a self-supporting entity rather than an obligatory or facultative vine or liana.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

10 m

Plant height mean:

7 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Strychnos spinosa is characterized by complex metabolic pathways primarily focused on the biosynthesis of specialized secondary metabolites, most notably indole alkaloids, which serve as chemical defense mechanisms against herbivory. As a woody climber or shrub, its physiological processes include robust photosynthetic activity and efficient nutrient translocation through a specialized vascular system to support its climbing habit. Regarding its interaction with soil chemistry and nutrient cycling, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria, such as Rhizobium, typically found in leguminous species, and therefore relies on the uptake of inorganic nitrogen from the soil through its root system. Its metabolic regulation is closely tied to environmental stressors, influencing the concentration of alkaloids within its tissues to maintain physiological homeostasis.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Strychnos spinosa is characterized by a complex biological process involving specific biotic interactions for both fertilization and propagation. The pollination syndrome is primarily biotic, relying heavily on insects to facilitate the transfer of pollen between flowers. This reproductive strategy ensures genetic exchange through specialized animal vectors. Following successful pollination, the plant produces seeds that exhibit a distinct mass variation; the seed mass ranges from a minimum of 0.19522 g to a maximum of 0.592 g, with an average seed mass of approximately 0.377165 g. The dispersal of these seeds follows a zoochorous syndrome, specifically utilizing endozoochory, where seeds are ingested by animals and subsequently dispersed through their digestive tracts. This method of dispersal is a critical component of the plant's life cycle, ensuring that offspring are transported to new environments to establish themselves.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.592 g

Seed mass mean:

0.377165 g

Seed mass min:

0.19522 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Strychnos spinosa 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

Strychnos spinosa has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include triterpenoids, 24-hydroperoxy-24-vinylcholesterol, Flavonoids, Saponins, Saringosterol.

triterpenoids

1. Journal of natural products
2. Pharmaceutical biology

24-hydroperoxy-24-vinylcholesterol

1. Journal of natural products

Flavonoids

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Saponins

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Saringosterol

1. Journal of natural products

Sterols

1. Journal of natural products

Stryspinoside

1. Journal of natural products

Activities

Strychnos spinosa has 3 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antihyperglycemic, Antiproliferative, Cytotoxic.

Antihyperglycemic

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Antiproliferative

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Cytotoxic

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Conditions

Strychnos spinosa has 3 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, malaria, trypanosomiasis.

Cancer

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Malaria

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Trypanosomiasis

1. Journal of natural products

Preparations

Strychnos spinosa has 5 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Aqueous extracts, dried branches, extracts, lipophilic leaf extract, methanolic extracts.

Aqueous extracts

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Dried branches

1. Journal of natural products

Extracts

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Lipophilic leaf extract

1. Journal of natural products

Methanolic extracts

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies