Thunbergia erecta

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant is native to several regions within West Tropical Africa. Its geographical range specifically includes the country of Ghana. Additionally, it can be found growing in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea. The distribution extends further into the Ivory Coast as well. Finally, this medicinal species is also documented within the borders of Liberia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Thunbergia erecta is defined by its adaptability to various low-to-mid altitude tropical environments, thriving within an elevational range that begins at 0 m AMSL and extends up to a maximum of 1000 m AMSL. As a perennial shrub, it typically colonizes moist, shaded, or semi-shaded habitats, often found in forest margins, thickets, or secondary growth areas where it can utilize its climbing or spreading habit to compete for light. The plant prefers well-drained soils with organic matter and is characteristic of humid subtropical to tropical climates, where consistent moisture and warmth facilitate its growth and flowering cycles. Its distribution within these specific altitudinal gradients suggests a preference for lowland and montane foothills, allowing it to occupy diverse ecological niches ranging from coastal lowlands to higher-elevation tropical slopes.

Elevational range max:

1000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Thunbergia erecta is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural development and growth habit, it exhibits a dual classification of life forms, functioning as both a phanerophyte and a nanophanerophyte. As a phanerophyte, it maintains its regenerative buds well above the ground, contributing to its robust, shrubby architecture, while its nanophanerophytic tendencies reflect its ability to maintain low-growing, woody structural elements that support its overall perennial lifecycle.

Life form :

nanophanerophyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Thunbergia erecta is characterized by its growth form as a woody shrub, exhibiting a self-supporting structure that does not rely on climbing mechanisms such as vines or lianas. As a terrestrial species, it functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte, maintaining its own metabolic processes without host dependency. The plant possesses a sturdy, woody composition that allows it to reach a maximum height of approximately 4.57 meters. Its development is strictly land-based, lacking any aquatic or semiaquatic adaptations, and it maintains a robust, upright habit consistent with its shrubby classification.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

4.572055596 m

Woodiness :

woody

Reproduction

The reproduction of Thunbergia erecta is primarily driven by its flowering cycle, which serves as the critical stage for its reproductive success. The flowering period for this species is characterized by a specific seasonal window, with the flowering start occurring in August and the flowering end also concluding in August, indicating a highly concentrated or variable blooming phase depending on environmental conditions. This reproductive timing is essential for attracting pollinators, which facilitate the transition from flowering to seed production.

Flowering time :

Aug

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Thunbergia erecta 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 flower.

Flower

1. Cell biochemistry and biophysics