Uvaria tonkinensis

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant is geographically distributed across several distinct regions within Asia. In China, it can be found specifically in the South-Central, Southeast, and Hainan areas. Its range also extends into the Indo-China peninsula. Within this region, the species is documented to grow in Cambodia. Additionally, its natural habitat includes the country of Laos.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Uvaria tonkinenensis is defined by its specific altitudinal distribution within its native habitat, where it thrives across a defined vertical gradient. This species typically inhabits mid-elevation tropical environments, occupying a niche that spans from a minimum altitude of 200 m AMSL to a maximum elevation of 600 m AMSL. Its presence is most concentrated around a mean elevation of 400 m AMSL, suggesting that its physiological requirements and reproductive success are optimized within this specific altitudinal band. This range indicates that the plant is adapted to the particular temperature, humidity, and soil characteristics found in these lowland to sub-montane ecological zones.

Elevational range max:

600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

200 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Uvaria tonkinenxis is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the plant to persist in its environment through multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its reproductive buds are borne on aerial shoots well above the ground, a structural strategy that defines its primary life form. This phanerophyte classification, noted across both its life form categories, indicates a growth habit where the plant maintains a significant woody structure to support its long-term survival and development within its ecological niche.

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Uvaria tonkinenensis is characterized by its woody structure and distinct growth habit. It presents as a shrubby plant, exhibiting a growth form categorized as a shrub. In terms of its climbing behavior, it functions as a self-supporting climber, allowing it to maintain its structure within its habitat.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

shrub

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiological development of the foliage in Uvaria tonkinensis is characterized by specific morphometric dimensions that define its photosynthetic surface area and structural efficiency. The leaves exhibit significant variability in size, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 12 cm to a maximum of 21 cm, maintaining an average leaf length of 16.5 cm. Complementing this longitudinal growth, the leaf width fluctuates between a minimum of 4 cm and a maximum of 7 cm, resulting in a mean leaf width of 5.5 cm. These dimensions suggest a specialized leaf architecture optimized for light interception and gas exchange within its native ecological niche.

Leaf length max:

21 cm

Leaf length mean:

16.5 cm

Leaf length min:

12 cm

Leaf width max:

7 cm

Leaf width mean:

5.5 cm

Leaf width min:

4 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Uvaria tonkinensis 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 stem.

Stem

1. Journal of Asian natural products research