Ground Pineapple

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Ground Pineapple

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Thonningia angolensis
• Thonningia sessilis
• Thonningia ugandensis
• Thonningia dubia
• Thonningia elegans

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 class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Santalales, it is further categorized into the family Balanophoraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Thonningiia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Thonniningia sanguinea, is primarily distributed across the West Tropical Africa region. Its presence is documented within the borders of Benin, where it grows in specific ecological zones. The species can also be found spanning across Burkina Faso. Furthermore, its natural range extends into the coastal and inland areas of Ghana. Finally, the plant is widely distributed throughout Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Thonniningia sanguinea is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its biological structure and survival strategy, it is classified as a geophyte, meaning it relies on underground storage organs to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. Furthermore, its life form is identified as a cryptophyte, indicating that its perennating buds are located below the soil surface, which protects the plant from external stresses such as drought or seasonal changes.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Thonnignia sanguinea is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, exhibiting a relatively small stature with a mean plant height of approximately 0.085 m. This species is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, lacking aquatic or semi-aquatic tendencies, and functions as a self-supporting climber rather than an obligatory or facultative one. As a non-epiphytic organism, it maintains a terrestrial existence, avoiding holoepiphytic, hemiepiphytic, or other epiphytic life strategies. Furthermore, the plant is classified as an obligatory parasite, a defining biological trait that dictates its morphological dependence on host organisms for survival.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

obligatory

Plant height mean:

0.085 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Thonniningia sanguinea is characterized by its metabolic processes as a woody climber, primarily driven by its photosynthetic efficiency and nutrient acquisition strategies within tropical ecosystems. The plant exhibits typical C3 photosynthetic pathways, utilizing sunlight to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic compounds to support its rapid climbing growth habit. In terms of its nutrient cycling and soil interactions, the plant does not function as a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Rhizobium, required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a bioavailable form. Consequently, its nitrogen uptake is entirely dependent on the availability of nitrates and ammonium ions present in the soil substrate. Its physiological vigor is closely tied to its ability to manage water stress and maintain turgor pressure through specialized vascular tissues that facilitate the upward transport of nutrients and water through its climbing stems.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Thonnignia sanguinea is characterized by a highly flexible and extensive flowering period, as the plant is capable of blooming throughout nearly the entire year. Specifically, the flowering time is noted to be variable, with the flowering start and end points spanning across all months from January through December. In terms of seed movement, the plant utilizes an anemochorous dispersal syndrome, indicating that its reproductive success relies on wind-driven mechanisms for the distribution of its progeny. This anemochorous strategy is consistently identified as the primary mode of dispersal for the species.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Flowering time :

Sep

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Thonningia sanguinea 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 root.

Root

1. Fitoterapia

Chemicals

Thonningia sanguinea has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include thonningianin A, (+)-Pinoresinol, Glutathione S-transferase, Lariciresinol, thonningianin B.

thonningianin A

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biochemical pharmacology

(+)-Pinoresinol

1. Journal of natural products

Glutathione S-transferase

1. Human & experimental toxicology

Lariciresinol

1. Journal of natural products

thonningianin B

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Thonningia sanguinea has 2 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Hepatoprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biochemical pharmacology

Hepatoprotective

1. Human & experimental toxicology

Conditions

Thonningia sanguinea has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include bronchial asthma.

Bronchial asthma

1. Human & experimental toxicology

Preparations

Thonningia sanguinea has 5 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include aqueous extract, T. S. extract, ethyl acetate fraction, methanolic crude extract, methanolic extract.

Aqueous extract

1. Planta medica
2. Human & experimental toxicology

T. s. extract

1. Life sciences

Ethyl acetate fraction

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Methanolic crude extract

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Methanolic extract

1. Biochemical pharmacology