Volutaria lippii

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Amberboa lippii
• Volutarella lippii
• Centaurea lippii

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, specifically falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Finally, it is identified by the genus Volutaria as the species Volutaria lippii.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning several distinct regions of Europe and Africa. In Middle Europe, its presence can be identified within the borders of Poland. Moving toward the Mediterranean, it is found in Southwestern Europe, specifically in Spain, as well as in Southeastern Europe across Sicilia. The species also extends into Northern Africa, where it inhabits the landscapes of Algeria. Finally, its range continues further east into the territory of Egypt.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Volitaria lippii is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental sequence—from seed germination to flowering and subsequent seed production—within a single growing season. As an annual species, it focuses its energy on rapid vegetative growth to establish a presence before transitioning quickly into its reproductive phase. Following the successful dispersal of seeds, the individual plant dies, leaving the next generation to emerge from the seed bank during the following favorable environmental cycle.

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Volutaria lippii is characterized by its growth form as a herb, exhibiting a non-woody structure throughout its vegetative development. It functions as an independent organism, lacking parasitic tendencies toward host plants. In terms of its habitat and growth habit, the species is primarily terrestrial, though it can occupy varying environmental niches across aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial zones. Furthermore, it possesses a self-supporting climbing habit, allowing it to maintain its structural position without the need for external support.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Reproduction

The reproduction of Volutaria lippii is characterized by the production of highly uniform and minute seeds, which play a critical role in its dispersal and establishment. Quantitative analysis of its reproductive output reveals a remarkably consistent seed size, with the seed mass exhibiting no variance across recorded samples. The seed mass mean, maximum, and minimum values are all recorded at an identical 0.00096 g. This extreme consistency in seed mass suggests a highly regulated developmental process during seed maturation, ensuring that each reproductive unit possesses the same minimal resource allocation for germination and early seedling survival.

Seed mass mean:

0.00096 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Activities

Volutaria lippii has 1 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Cytotoxic.

Cytotoxic

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology