Thespesia garckeana

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Azanza garckeana
• Shantzia garckeana
• Bupariti garckeana

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Thespesia garckeana, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified under the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae, falling within the order Malvales. Finally, it is a member of the family Malvaceae and the genus Thespesia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution across several regions of the African continent. In West Tropical Africa, it can be found specifically within Nigeria. Its presence extends into West-Central Tropical Africa, where it inhabits Burundi and the DR Congo. The species is also located in Northeast Tropical Africa, covering the territory of Chad. Finally, its range reaches into the Northeast Tropical Africa region of Sudan and South Sudan.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Thesmesia garckeana is characterized by its ability to thrive across diverse topographical gradients, specifically adapting to varied altitudinal zones. It occupies a broad vertical distribution within its habitat, ranging from lowland areas up to a significant elevational range max of 2000 m AMSL. This capacity to inhabit higher altitudes suggests an ecological resilience to varying temperature regimes and atmospheric pressures associated with montane environments. The species typically integrates into specific forest or scrubland ecosystems where soil moisture and light availability meet its physiological requirements, utilizing its wide elevational niche to optimize its survival and distribution across different ecological strata.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Thespesia garckeana is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located high above the ground on woody stems, a life form that is consistently categorized under both the phanerophyte and nanophanerophyte classifications. Furthermore, the plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that it retains its foliage throughout its life cycle rather than shedding all leaves seasonally.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Thespesia garckeana is characterized by a woody growth form that typically manifests as a tree or shrub. This species is a self-supporting, independent plant that does not function as a parasite or an epiphyte, maintaining a terrestrial existence. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant vertical development, with a height ranging from a minimum of 4 meters to a maximum of 10 meters, maintaining an average height of approximately 10 meters.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

10 m

Plant height min:

4 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Thespesia garckeana is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy among many woody tropical species that involves the direct fixation of carbon dioxide via the Calvin cycle. In terms of nutrient acquisition and nitrogen metabolism, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria necessary to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms and must instead rely on the uptake of nitrates or ammonium from the soil.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Thespesia garckeana is driven by a biotic pollination syndrome, relying on biological agents rather than abiotic factors to facilitate fertilization. Specifically, the plant utilizes insect pollination to ensure successful reproductive cycles. Once fertilization occurs, the plant produces seeds characterized by a specific weight profile; the seed mass ranges from a minimum of 0.25 g to a maximum of 0.31134 g, with an average seed mass mean of 0.270465 g.

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed mass max:

0.31134 g

Seed mass mean:

0.270465 g

Seed mass min:

0.25 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Thespesia garckeana has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root.

Leaf

1. Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology

Root

1. Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology

Chemicals

Thespesia garckeana has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include 6-(Benzyloxy)-4,4-dimethyl-2-chromanone, Terpinen-4-ol, nonyl flavanone, testolactone.

6-(Benzyloxy)-4,4-dimethyl-2-chromanone

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Terpinen-4-ol

1. American journal of translational research

nonyl flavanone

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

testolactone

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Activities

Thespesia garckeana has 4 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Antihyperglycemic, Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic.

Antidiabetic

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Antihyperglycemic

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Antioxidant

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Hypoglycemic

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Preparations

Thespesia garckeana has 6 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Aqueous and organic fractions, Aqueous extracts, aqueous fraction, crude methanolic extract, ethyl acetate fraction.

Aqueous and organic fractions

1. Annals of tropical medicine and parasitology

Aqueous extracts

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Aqueous fraction

1. American journal of translational research

Crude methanolic extract

1. American journal of translational research

Ethyl acetate fraction

1. American journal of translational research

N-hexane fraction

1. American journal of translational research