Solanum pendulum [Ruiz & Pav. ]

Solanum pendulum

Citation author:

Ruiz and Pavón

Citation:

Fl. Peruv. 2: 39. Pl. 174, fig. a. 1799,

Type:

Peru. In Panatahuarum Provinciae nemoribus, praesertim in Muña umbrosis locis, floret a Majo ad Augustum, Ruiz & Pavón s.n. (lectotype, MA, designated by Bohs, 1994 [F, photo]; isolectotypes, B (destroyed) [F neg. 2936 F, G, GH, NY, US, WIS], F, MA [GH, photos]).

Last edited by:

Bohs, L.

Written by:

Lynn Bohs

Habit:

Shrub or small tree 1-10 m tall. Stems moderately to densely pubescent-pilose with hairs up to 2 mm long, often also sparsely pilose-hirsute with hairs up to 4 mm long.

Sympodial structure:

Sympodial units 4-foliate.

Leaves:

Leaves simple to pinnately (2-) 3-9-compound, the blades 5-40 x 3-30 cm, ca. 1.5-2 times as long as wide, the simple leaves ovate, the compound leaves with the upper lateral leaflets often basiscopically decurrent, chartaceous, sparsely to moderately pubescent-pilose adaxially with hairs ca. 1-2 mm long, more densely pubescent abaxially; base truncate to cordate with basal lobes up to ca. 1 cm long; margin entire; apex acuminate; petioles 2-20 cm, densely pubescent-pilose.

Inflorescences:

Inflorescences 6-22 (-50) cm, unbranched or forked, with 25-50 flowers, all flowers perfect, the axes sparsely to densely puberulent-pubescent; peduncle 3-13 cm; rachis 2.5-12 (-40) cm; pedicels 10-20 mm, 20-30 mm and thickened in fruit, spaced 2-10 mm apart, articulated above the base, leaving pedicellar remnants 1-3 mm long.

Flowers:

Buds globose, obtuse at apex. Flowers with the calyx radius 4-8 mm, the lobes 1-5 x 3-4 mm, triangular to ovate, often unequal, acute, obtuse, or apiculate at tips, chartaceous, moderately puberulent-pubescent. Corollas 1.5-3 cm in diameter, the radius 10-16 mm, (urceolate-) campanulate, coriaceous, purple, pink, or white, the tube 5-8 mm, the lobes 5-10 x 3-5 mm, triangular, acute at apices, densely tomentose abaxially, glabrous or sparsely pubescent adaxially on prominent midnerve and toward apices, the margin tomentose. Anther thecae 4-6 x 1.5-2 mm, narrowly ovate, connivent, yellow or violet, the pores directed distally and laterally; connective 4-6 x 0.5-1 mm, narrowly triangular, abaxially slightly shorter than thecae at apex, about equal or slightly exceeding them at base, absent adaxially, the color unknown. Ovary glabrous; style 6-9 x 1-1.5 mm, exserted 1.5-4 mm beyond stamens, cylindrical, slightly dilated distally, glabrous; stigma truncate or capitate, expanded to 1-2 mm in diameter.

Fruits:

Fruits 2-4 (-6?) x 1.5-3 cm, ellipsoidal, acute or obtuse at apex, yellow (fide Ruiz and Pavón), glabrous; stone cell aggregates present or perhaps absent.

Seeds:

Seeds 4-5 x 3 mm, flattened, rugose-reticulate.

Chromosome number:

Not known

Distribution:

Understories and openings of tropical rain forests, 200-2850 m, eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador, the valleys of the rivers Huallaga and Ucayali in Peru, the Rio Beni in Bolivia, and adjacent Amazonian Brazil.

Phenology:

Flowering specimens have been collected in all months of the year except January, March, and April. Fruiting specimens have been collected in June, October, November, and December.

Phylogeny:

Solanum pendulum 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, ITS data suggest that S. pendulum may be related to S. diversifolium, S. oxyphyllum, and S. tobagense, but there is poor bootstrap support for these branches (Bohs, in press b).

Commentary:

This species may be readily recognized by its densely tomentose, campanulate-urceolate corolla and by its usually pinnately divided leaves. The most distal pair of leaflets is often basiscopically decurrent along the rachis for 1 cm or more. Specimens with ternate and simple leaves also occur.

Solanum pendulum closely resembles S. diversifolium and molecular data hint at a relationship between these species. Both have pinnately compound leaves and similar anthers and gynoecia, although the flower parts of S. pendulum are larger than those of S. diversifolium and S. diversifolium corollas lack the dense tomentum of S. pendulum.

Densely tomentose corollas are also found in S. exiguum and the ranges of S. pendulum and S. exiguum overlap in Bolivia. Molecular data, however, argue against a close relationship between the two species. Solanum pendulum can be distinguished from S. exiguum by the long corolla tubes and glabrous fruits in the former species.

Solanum pendulum may be closely related to Solanum viridiflorum Ruiz & Pavón, as pointed out by Ruiz and Pavón in the original description of the two species. From their illustrations in the Flora Peruviana (1799), the two species differ in that S. viridiflorum has entire leaves and villous fruits whereas S. pendulum has ternate or pinnate leaves and glabrous fruits. Because pinnate, ternate, and simple leaves can be found on a single plant of S. pendulum, leaf shape may not be a reliable character differentiating the two taxa. This illustrations also indicate that S. viridiflorum is pubescent on the leaves and stems and S. pendulum is not, but the description accompanying S. pendulum refers to it as being hirsute or pubescent. It is possible that S. viridiflorum is conspecific with S. cajanumense (q.v.), but without type specimens the identity of S. viridiflorum cannot be ascertained, and S. viridiflorum is currently considered a species of unknown placement.

References:

Ruiz, H. & J.A. Pavón 1799. Fl. Peruv. Volume 2.
Gabrielis de Sancha, Madrid.

Bohs, L. 1994. Cyphomandra (Solanaceae).
Flora Neotropica Monograph 63: 1-175. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.

Bohs, L. 1995. Transfer of Cyphomandra (Solanaceae) and its species to Solanum.
Taxon 44: 583-587.

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.

Genetics:

nuclear ITS sequence: GenBank AY523910 (voucher: Daly et al. 10004, NY). nuclear ITS sequence: GenBank AY523911 (voucher: Bohs & Schunke 2165, MO).

Solanaceae Source

A global taxonomic resource for the nightshade family

Solanaceae

Solanum pendulum Ruiz & Pav.

Primary tabs

NCBI