Trema orientalis

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Indian Charcoal Tree
• Indian Nettle
• Oriental Nettle
• Poison Peach
• charcoaltree
• large poison-peach
• peach-cedar
• poison-peach
• rough trema
• tree-peach
• woolly-cedar
• Elm
• Oriental trema
• Rhodesian Elm
• Rhodesian-Elm
• Trema

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Celtis orientalis
• Sponia wightii
• Celtis rigida
• Trema rigidum
• Sponia scaberrima
• Celtis ituriensis
• Sponia strigosa
• Trema sieberi
• Celtis commersonii
• Sponia rigida
• Trema wightii
• Trema grevei
• Trema guineense f. strigosum
• Trema burmanni
• Trema guineense var. paucinervium
• Trema commersonii
• Trema glomeratum
• Trema nitens
• Trema guineense var. hochstetteri
• Trema griseum
• Trema guineense
• Trema argenteum
• Trema africanum
• Trema affine
• Sponia commersonii
• Sponia bracteolata
• Sponia argentea
• Sponia nitens
• Sponia lucida
• Sponia glomerata
• Celtis guineensis var. parvifolia
• Trema orientale var. argenteum
• Trema orientale var. rigidum
• Trema polygama
• Trema strigosum
• Trema bracteolatum
• Trema hochstetteri
• Colubrina leschenaultii
• Trema guineense var. asperatum
• Sponia orientalis var. affinis
• Sponia orientalis var. commersonii
• Sponia orientalis
• Trema scaberrimum
• Sponia guineensis
• Trema orientale var. bicornis
• Sponia orientalis var. asperata
• Celtis glomerata
• Celtis guineensis
• Ceanothus leschenaultii
• Sponia hochstetteri
• Sponia africana
• Sponia affinis

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, it is organized under the order Rosales and the family Cannabaceae. Its specific taxonomic identity is defined by its placement in the genus Trema.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical range that spans across different climate zones. In Middle Europe, its presence can be recorded in Germany. The species also has a significant distribution throughout West Tropical Africa. Specifically, it is found within the borders of Benin, Burkina, and Gambia. Additionally, the plant is known to inhabit the tropical regions of Ghana.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Trema orientale is characterized by its versatility across diverse landscapes, primarily occupying forest margins, riverine (secondary) bushland, woodlands, and wooded grasslands. It frequently acts as a pioneer species in disturbed forest environments, demonstrating a capacity to colonize and stabilize transitional habitats. This plant exhibits a broad altitudinal distribution, ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 2000 m AMSL, with a mean elevational range of approximately 1150 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1150 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

3 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest margins, riverine (secondary) bushland, woodland, wooded grassland, pioneer in disturbed forest

Life history

The life history of Trema orientale is characterized by its existence as a perennial plant, ensuring its presence in the ecosystem over multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its regenerative buds are located on aerial shoots well above the ground, a structural adaptation that defines its life form. This species maintains an evergreen deciduousness, retaining its foliage throughout much of its life cycle rather than shedding all leaves seasonally. Through these combined traits, the plant establishes a stable and enduring presence within its natural habitat.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Trema orientale is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree that functions as a self-supporting organism. It is an independent plant, meaning it does not exhibit parasitic behavior, and it is classified as a terrestrial species rather than an aquatic or epiphytic one. In terms of stature, the plant displays significant vertical variability, with heights ranging from a minimum of 1.2 m to a maximum of 36 m, maintaining an average height of approximately 10.5 m. As a self-supporting woody tree, it possesses the structural integrity to maintain its upright growth without the need for climbing or external support.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

36 m

Plant height mean:

10.5 m

Plant height min:

1.2 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Trema orientale is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating its reliance on standard carbon fixation processes. Morphologically, the foliage exhibits significant variation in size, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 6 cm to a maximum of 19 cm, maintaining an average length of 10.8 cm. The leaf width is similarly variable, spanning from 1.5 cm to a maximum of 7 cm, with an average width of 4.7 cm. These leaves are notably thin, possessing an average thickness of 0.027 mm. Regarding its structural composition, the plant maintains a mean stem specific density (SSD) of 382 mg/cm³. Additionally, the species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the specialized biological mechanism to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for its growth.

Leaf length max:

19 cm

Leaf length mean:

10.8 cm

Leaf length min:

6 cm

Leaf thickness mean:

0.027 mm

Leaf width max:

7 cm

Leaf width mean:

4.7 cm

Leaf width min:

1.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Stem specific density (SSD) mean:

382 mg/cm³

Reproduction

The reproduction of Trema orientale is characterized by a specific flowering phenology and specialized fruit and seed morphology. The flowering period is noted to occur around November, though the timing can be variable. The plant produces fleshy, indehiscent fruits categorized as drupes, which typically measure between 0.3 cm and 0.5 cm in length, with an average length of 0.4 cm. These fruits facilitate reproduction through a zoochorous dispersal syndrome, specifically via endozoochory, suggesting that animals ingest the fruit to aid in seed distribution. The seeds themselves are quite small, with a mean mass of approximately 0.00389 g (ranging from a minimum of 0.0027 g to a maximum of 0.00767 g). Morphologically, the seeds exhibit a mean length of 1.5 mm (up to 1.8 mm) and a maximum width of 1.6 mm, with a maximum height of 1.5 mm. The seed volume varies, with a mean of 4.56 mm³, a minimum of 1.8 mm³, and a maximum of 8.5 mm³.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Flowering time :

Nov

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

0.5 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.4 cm

Fruit length min:

0.3 cm

Fruit type :

drupe

Seed height max:

1.5 mm

Seed length max:

1.8 mm

Seed length mean:

1.5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00767 g

Seed mass mean:

0.00389466666666667 g

Seed mass min:

0.0027 g

Seed volume max:

8.5 mm³

Seed volume mean:

4.56 mm³

Seed volume min:

1.8 mm³

Seed width max:

1.6 mm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Trema orientale has 1 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include uric acid.

uric acid

1. Pharmacological research communications

Conditions

Trema orientale has 3 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases.

Cancer

1. Heliyon

Cardiovascular diseases

1. Heliyon

Infectious diseases

1. Heliyon