clove

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• clove
• clove
• clovetree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Eugenia caryophyllus
• Myrtus caryophyllus
• Eugenia caryophyllata
• Jambosa caryophyllus
• Caryophyllus silvestris
• Caryophyllus aromaticus

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, scientifically known as Syzygium aromaticum, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Myrtales and the family Myrtaceae. Its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Syzygium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specialized geographical distribution concentrated primarily within tropical maritime regions. In West-Central Tropical Africa, its presence is noted around the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Moving toward East Tropical Africa, the species can be found in Tanzania. Its range extends significantly across the Western Indian Ocean, encompassing the Comoros. Finally, the distribution includes the prominent islands of Madagascar and the Seychelles.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Syzygium aromaticum is characterized by its existence as a perennial plant, ensuring its long-term presence within its ecological niche. As a phanerophyte, it develops significant woody structures that elevate its photosynthetic organs well above the ground level, a trait further specified by its classification as a nanophanerophyte. Throughout its life cycle, the plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, consistently retaining its foliage to facilitate continuous metabolic activity.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Syzygium aromaticum is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree that functions as a self-supporting, independent organism. It is a terrestrial species, not categorized as an aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic plant. As a non-parasitic species, it maintains an independent lifestyle without reliance on a host. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant variation in height, with recorded measurements ranging from a minimum of 8 m to a maximum of 12 m, although the mean plant height is observed at approximately 20 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

12 m

Plant height mean:

20 m

Plant height min:

8 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Syzygium aromaticum is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which governs its carbon assimilation processes and metabolic efficiency under typical tropical environmental conditions. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the enzyme Rubisco to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into the Calvin cycle, a process that is highly effective in the humid, warm climates where the species thrives. In terms of nutrient cycling and symbiotic relationships, the plant is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it does not possess the specialized nodules or symbiotic associations with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms; instead, it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Syzygium aromaticum is characterized by a biotic pollination syndrome, primarily driven by interactions with animal vectors rather than abiotic factors. Specifically, the plant relies on insects for pollen transfer, with bees identified as a key component of its pollination mechanism. While the species is capable of self-fertilization, its reproductive success is closely tied to these biotic interactions. The resulting seeds exhibit significant variability in size and weight; they possess a mean seed mass of approximately 0.37358425 g, though individual seed masses can range from a minimum of 0.000474 g to a maximum of 1.49254 g.

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

1.49254 g

Seed mass mean:

0.37358425 g

Seed mass min:

0.000474 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Syzygium aromaticum has 4 reported plant parts identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include flower, leaf, fruit, seed.

Flower

1. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin
2. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
4. Veterinary parasitology
5. Parasitology research

Leaf

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
2. Open life sciences
3. Biomolecules

Fruit

1. Biomolecules

Seed

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Chemicals

Syzygium aromaticum has 261 reported phytochemicals identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include eugenol, CLOVE OIL, Caryophyllene, Gallic acid, OLEANOLIC ACID.

eugenol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
3. Cell biology international
4. Journal of clinical and experimental dentistry
5. Pharmaceutics

CLOVE OIL

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. BMC plant biology
3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
4. Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology
5. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR

Caryophyllene

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC veterinary research
3. Toxicology mechanisms and methods
4. Food & function
5. AMB Express

Gallic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Luminescence : the journal of biological and chemical luminescence
3. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
4. PloS one
5. Biomolecules

OLEANOLIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Oncology research
3. Mediators of inflammation
4. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
5. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

quercetin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in microbiology
3. Scientific reports
4. PloS one
5. Biomolecules

Eugenol acetate

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine

Flavonoids

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
4. AMB Express

Acetyl eugenol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food & function
3. Parkinson's disease

Isoeugenol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
3. Frontiers in nutrition

Activities

Syzygium aromaticum has 597 reported activities identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antimicrobial, Antifungal.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
3. Scientific reports
4. Frontiers in nutrition
5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Scientific reports
5. Biomolecules

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Cell biology international
4. Cancer biotherapy & radiopharmaceuticals
5. Beni-Suef University journal of basic and applied sciences

Antimicrobial

1. Bioprocess and biosystems engineering
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Current medicinal chemistry
5. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research : JCDR

Antifungal

1. Advances in dental research
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Biomolecules
4. Applied microbiology and biotechnology
5. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Biomolecules
4. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Cancer biotherapy & radiopharmaceuticals
3. Biomolecules
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Antiseptic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomolecules
3. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Oncology research
5. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Parkinson's disease
4. Biomolecules

Antinociceptive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Conditions

Syzygium aromaticum has 124 reported investigations on conditions identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, cancer, inflammation.

Staphylococcus aureus

1. Journal of intercultural ethnopharmacology
2. Pharmaceutical biology
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Frontiers in microbiology

Escherichia coli

1. Journal of intercultural ethnopharmacology
2. Scientific reports
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Frontiers in microbiology
5. Chemistry & biodiversity

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Journal of intercultural ethnopharmacology
2. Scientific reports
3. Pharmaceutical biology
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Cancer

1. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
2. Beni-Suef University journal of basic and applied sciences
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR
4. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
5. Planta medica

Inflammation

1. Food science & nutrition
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
4. Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis Society
5. Inflammopharmacology

Oxidative stress

1. Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
2. Food & function
3. Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis Society
4. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
5. Biomolecules

Covid-19

1. Protein and peptide letters
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Streptococcus mutans

1. Open access Macedonian journal of medical sciences
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. 3 Biotech
4. Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association

Toothache

1. Frontiers in nutrition
2. Avicenna journal of phytomedicine
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
4. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons--Pakistan : JCPSP

Candida albicans

1. Scientific reports
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association

Preparations

Syzygium aromaticum has 55 reported preparations identified across 15 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include essential oils, essential oil, aqueous extract, extracts, water extracts.

Essential oils

1. Journal of food protection
2. Applied microbiology and biotechnology
3. Parasitology research
4. Tropical biomedicine
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Essential oil

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
4. Medical and veterinary entomology
5. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Aqueous extract

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. West African journal of pharmacology and drug research
4. Pharmaceutical biology

Extracts

1. Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
4. Inflammopharmacology

Water extracts

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Journal of natural medicines

Eo

1. Letters in applied microbiology
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Essential oils

1. Journal de mycologie medicale
2. Natural product research

Clove oil

1. Biomolecules
2. Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology

Ethanol extract

1. West African journal of pharmacology and drug research
2. Experimental and therapeutic medicine

Ethanol extracts

1. Experimental & applied acarology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)