Solanum amotapense
Southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru; cliff edges, dry and rocky stream beds, and under deciduous vegetation, primarily in seasonally arid areas; 600-2300 m.
Solanum amotapense belongs to the Cyphomandra clade of Solanum along with other species traditionally recognized in sections Pachyphylla and Cyphomandropsis (Bohs, in press a). Within the Cyphomandra clade, S. amotapense is associated with the S. luteoalbum clade (S. luteoalbum, S. confusum, S. hibernum, and S. stuckertii) in some trees based on nuclear ITS data, but this relationship has low support. In the strict consensus of the ITS trees, S. amotapense occupies a rather isolated phylogenetic position within the Cyphomandra clade and its closest relative(s) are not evident (Bohs, in press b).
Bohs, L. 2001. Revision of Solanum section Cyphomandropsis (Solanaceae).
Syst. Bot. Monog. 61: 1-85.
Bohs, L. 2005. Major clades in Solanum based on ndhF sequences.
Pp. 27-49 in R. C. Keating, V. C. Hollowell, & T. B. Croat (eds.), A festschrift for William G. D’Arcy: the legacy of a taxonomist. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden, Vol. 104. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
Bohs, L. 2007. Phylogeny of the Cyphomandra clade of the genus Solanum (Solanaceae) based on ITS sequence data.
Taxon 56: 1012-1026.
nuclear ITS sequence: GenBank AY523869 (voucher: Bohs 2479, UT). nuclear ITS sequence: GenBank AY523870 (voucher: Whalen & Dillon 897, BH).
Solanum amotapense can be distinguished from the other species in the section by its inflated calyx tube, rotate-stellate corolla, long slender filaments, and subcordate leaf bases. The only other species of section Cyphomandropsis occurring in arid areas of northern Peru is S. hutchisonii. Solanum amotapense differs from it in its abundant pubescence and chartaceous rather than succulent leaf blades.
All specimens of S. amotapense have unbranched eglandular hairs on the stems leaves, and inflorescences except the type collections of S. amotapense and C. villosa, which have a few dendritically branched hairs, especially on the leaf margins. Corolla color varies from white to light blue or purple in this species, and the style is puberulent rather than glabrous in the type of C. villosa.