Terminalia spinosa

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Terminalia robecchii
• Terminalia bispinosa

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 Myrtales, falling into the family Combretaceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Terminalia, with the specific species name being spinosa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across the northeastern and eastern regions of the tropical African continent. In Northeast Tropical Africa, its presence is recorded in Ethiopia, Somalia, and the territories of Sudan and South Sudan. Moving toward the eastern coast, the species also thrives within the borders of Kenya. Furthermore, its geographical range extends into the landscape of Tanzania. Collectively, these locations highlight a specific ecological niche within the African tropical belt.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Terminalia spinosa is characterized by its specialized adaptation to diverse landscape formations, primarily thriving within coastal thickets, bushland, and grasslands. In these environments, the plant plays a vital role in stabilizing soil and providing structural complexity to the vegetation layers. Its presence in coastal thickets suggests a resilience to salt spray and sandy substrates, while its ability to occupy bushland and grasslands indicates a capacity to withstand varying levels of moisture availability and competitive pressure from surrounding flora. By occupying these specific niches, Terminalia spinosa contributes to the overall biodiversity and ecological stability of its native habitats.

Habitat :

coastal thickets, bushland and grasslands

Morphology

The morphology of Terminalia spinosa is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically functioning as a self-supporting tree. It typically reaches a plant height with a mean value of approximately 10 m. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies, nor does it function as an epiphyte. The plant is an independent organism rather than a parasite and does not possess climbing habits, such as being a liana or vine, instead maintaining a robust, self-supporting structure.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

10 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Terminalia spinosa is characterized by a metabolic framework governed by the C3 photosynthetic pathway, wherein carbon fixation occurs primarily through the Calvin cycle using the enzyme RuBisCO. As a C3 plant, its physiological processes are optimized for environments where gas exchange and water use efficiency are balanced through traditional stomatal regulation, typically favoring cooler or more temperate moisture availability compared to specialized C4 or CAM species. This metabolic strategy dictates its carbon assimilation efficiency and influences its overall growth rate and transpiration patterns. Furthermore, its physiological resilience is supported by specialized cellular adaptations that manage osmotic potential and nutrient uptake to maintain turgor pressure and metabolic stability during varying environmental stressors.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Terminalia spinosa is centered around the production of seeds that exhibit specific morphological dimensions essential for its dispersal and establishment. The seed mass of this species shows a distinct range of variation, with a calculated mean seed mass of 0.046276667 g. Within the observed population, the individual seed masses fluctuate between a minimum value of 0.03927 g and a maximum value of 0.05556 g. These quantitative traits characterize the reproductive output of the plant, reflecting the biological investment in each seed to ensure successful germination and survival within its ecological niche.

Seed mass max:

0.05556 g

Seed mass mean:

0.046276667 g

Seed mass min:

0.03927 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Terminalia 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 stem.

Stem

1. Arzneimittel-Forschung

Chemicals

Terminalia spinosa has 10 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include ANTHRAQUINONE, Anthocyanins, Coumarins, Fatty acids, Flavonoids.

ANTHRAQUINONE

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Anthocyanins

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Coumarins

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Fatty acids

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Flavonoids

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Steroids

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Tannins

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

ellagic acid

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

polyphenols

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

triterpenoids

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Activities

Terminalia spinosa has 6 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antimicrobial, Antiplasmodial, Antiproliferative.

Antibacterial

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Arzneimittel-Forschung
3. Tanzania journal of health research

Antifungal

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
2. Arzneimittel-Forschung

Antimicrobial

1. Arzneimittel-Forschung

Antiplasmodial

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Antiproliferative

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Cytotoxic

1. Tanzania journal of health research

Conditions

Terminalia spinosa has 6 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include Helicobacter pylori, fever, jaundice, malaria, sore throat.

Helicobacter pylori

1. Arzneimittel-Forschung
2. Chemotherapy

Fever

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Jaundice

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Malaria

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Sore throat

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Wounds

1. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Preparations

Terminalia spinosa has 2 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include young branches, extracts of the stem bark.

Young branches

1. Mycoses
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Chemotherapy

Extracts of the stem bark

1. Arzneimittel-Forschung