Solanum zumbense [Bohs ]

Solanum zumbense

Citation author:

Bohs

Citation:

J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 3(2): 506. 2009.

Last edited by:

Lynn Bohs

Written by:

Lynn Bohs

Habit:

Shrub or small tree 1-3 m tall, from a single trunk with a spreading crown. Stems densely puberulent with unbranched glandular and eglandular hairs and often also sparsely to moderately pilose with eglandular hairs 1-3 mm long.

Sympodial structure:

Sympodial units 3-4-foliate, geminate or not.

Leaves:

Leaves simple, the blades 4-25 x 2.3-24 cm, 1-2.5 times as long as wide, subcoriaceous, ovate, sparsely to densely puberulent adaxially and abaxially with unbranched eglandular hairs and often also sparsely to densely pilose with unbranched hairs 1-3 mm long, the hairs more dense on veins; major veins ca. 5 per side; base truncate to deeply cordate, often oblique, with basal lobes (0-) 0.5-3.5 cm; margin entire; apex acuminate; petioles 3-10 cm, densely puberulent and often also sparsely to moderately pilose.

Inflorescences:

Inflorescences 3-12 (-25) cm long, leaf-opposed or in a branch fork, unbranched, forked, or rarely further branched, with 15-40 flowers, all flowers perfect, the axes densely puberulent (-pilose); peduncle 1.5-5 cm; rachis 1-6.5 (-20) cm; pedicels 15-25 mm, 25-40 mm in fruit, spaced 1-6 mm apart, articulated near the base and leaving pedicellar remnants ca. 1 mm long. Buds ellipsoidal or ovoid, acute at apex.

Flowers:

Flowers homostylous, 5-merous. Calyx 3-5 mm long, the tube 2-4 mm, the lobes 1-2 x 2-3 mm, deltate to very shallow, apiculate at tips, subcoriaceous, moderately to densely puberulent, with hairs denser toward tips of lobes; fruiting calyx not accrescent. Corollas 1.5-2 cm in diameter, 12-16 mm long, stellate, coriaceous, dull greenish, violet, or brownish-purple, the tube 1-2 mm, the lobes 9-14 x 3-4 mm, narrowly triangular, acute and slightly cucullate at apices, glabrous abaxially, glabrous to sparsely puberulent adaxially on midrib and toward apices, the margin tomentose to ciliate. Stamens with the free part of filaments 2-4 mm long, the filament tube 1-2 mm; anther thecae 4-5 x 1.5-2 mm, lanceolate, loosely connivent, cream to purplish, the pores directed abaxially and distally, not opening into longitudinal slits; connective 4-5 x 1.5-2 mm, lanceolate, purple or brownish, abaxially slightly shorter than thecae at apex, slightly exceeding them at base, adaxially produced as a swelling ca. 3 x 1 mm. Ovary glabrous or finely puberulent; style 4-7 x 0.5-1 mm in diameter at base, 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter at apex, equal to or shorter than the stamens, umbrella-shaped, strongly dilated distally, glabrous; stigma truncate, 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter, with two prominent apical glands.

Fruits:

Fruits 6-7 x 1.5-4.5 cm, ellipsoidal to fusiform, acute to apiculate at apex, pale yellow when mature, glabrous to finely puberulent; stone cell aggregates large.

Seeds:

Seeds 5-6 x 3-4 mm, flattened, reniform, rugulose to pubescent along margin with white pseudohairs.

Chromosome number:

Not known.

Distribution:

Solanum zumbense occurs on eastern Andean slopes in southern Ecuador and Peru, with an outlying collection from Brazil. Clearings and open places in tropical rain forest, (400-) 1500-2255 m in elevation.

Phenology:

Flowering specimens have been collected in March, July, September, November, and December. Fruiting specimens have been collected in March through June and December.

Phylogeny:

Solanum zumbense belongs to the Cyphomandra clade of Solanum along with other species traditionally recognized in sections Pachyphylla and Cyphomandropsis (Bohs, 2005). Within the Cyphomandra clade, S. zumbense is probably most closely related to S. obliquum, but this relationship has not been investigated using molecular data.

Commentary:

Within the Cyphomandra clade, S. zumbense is most similar to S. obliquum. Both species have very broad stigmas with two apical glands, short anthers with the connective not prolonged below the bases of the anther thecae, and stellate, coriaceous corollas with relatively broad and spreading lobes. Solanum zumbense differs from S. obliquum in having abundant long hairs on the foliage and axes, pointed and often pubescent fruits, and purplish, nearly glabrous corollas. The filaments are quite long and are a distinctive feature. Solanum zumbense is found at higher elevations (above 1500 m) than typical plants of S. obliquum.

Solanum zumbense takes its name from the town of Zumba in southern Ecuador near the Peruvian border, where the type collection was made. Although this locality is in the northern extremity of the range of this species, the euphonious epithet was too good to pass up. “Zumbar” is also the Spanish word for “buzz,” a common pollination mechanism in many species of Solanum.

References:

Bohs, L. 2005. Major clades in Solanum based on ndhF sequence data. Pp. 27-49. In: R. C. Keating, V. C. Hollowell & T. B. Croat (eds.), A Festschrift for William G. D’Arcy: A Legacy of a Taxonomist. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.

Stern, S. R. & L. Bohs. 2009. Two new species of Solanum from Ecuador and new combinations in Solanum section Pachyphylla (Solanaceae).Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Taxas 3: 503-510. (see this publication for references cited here)

Common names and uses:

Peru: chupo sacha (Schunke 5866); tomato del campo (Mexia 8235). Brazil: tsetsepere (Deni; Prance et al. 16402).

Mexia 8235 describes the fruits as having a tomato-like taste, and Bohs et al. 3366 describe them as sweet-sour. In Amazonian Brazil, the leaves are heated in water and used to bathe babies, both to keep them healthy and to cure fever (Prance et al. 16402). Schunke 5866 reports that an infusion is given in an enema to combat the grippe.

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Solanum zumbense Bohs

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