Thouinia paucidentata

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse range of locations across North and Central America. Within Mexico, its presence is noted in the Central, Southwest, and Southeast regions. Moving southward, the species extends its range into the country of Guatemala. It is also found within the borders of Belize in Central America. Collectively, these areas define the specific geographical footprint of Thouinia paucidentaata.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Morphology

The morphology of Thouinia paucidentaata is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree, reaching a maximum plant height of approximately 12 meters. This species exhibits a terrestrial habit, existing as an independent organism rather than as a parasite or an epiphyte. In terms of its structural support and growth pattern, it is categorized as self-supporting, functioning neither as an obligatory nor a facultative climber, such as a liana or vine, but rather maintaining its own structural integrity through its woody development.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

12 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Thouinia paucidensata is characterized by a specialized metabolic framework and structural composition. The plant utilizes a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common carbon fixation mechanism that involves the direct fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide through the enzyme RuBisCO. In terms of its structural density, the plant exhibits a highly consistent stem specific density (SSD) across its tissues. This density remains uniform throughout its physiological development, with a recorded mean, minimum, and maximum value all stabilized at 940 mg/cm³. This constant SSD suggests a highly regulated lignification process and a stable cellular architecture within the stem.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Stem specific density (SSD) min:

940 mg/cm³

Reproduction

The reproduction of Thouinia paucidentaata is characterized by specific seed morphology and a specialized dispersal mechanism. The seeds produced by this plant are remarkably uniform in size and weight, exhibiting no variation in their physical dimensions; they maintain a consistent seed length of 1.04 mm and a fixed seed mass of 0.004 g. This lack of deviation between the minimum, maximum, and mean values suggests a highly standardized reproductive output. Regarding the movement of offspring away from the parent plant, the species utilizes an anemochorous dispersal syndrome, meaning the seeds are primarily dispersed by wind currents to colonize new areas.

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Seed length mean:

1.04 mm

Seed mass mean:

0.004 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Thouinia paucidentata 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. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Thouinia paucidentata has 1 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include leaf extract.

Leaf extract

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)