Solanum microleprodes Bitter

Authority

Knapp, Sandra D. 2002. section (Solanaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 84: 1-404. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Solanaceae

Scientific Name

Solanum microleprodes Bitter

Type

Type. Panama. Darién: Boca de Pauarandó, Río Sambú, 20 m, Feb 1912, Pittier 5686 (holotype, US; isotype, US).

Synonyms

Solanum microleprodes var. felicis D'Arcy

Description

Species Description - Shrubs or small trees, 1-5 m tall; stems and young leaves densely pubescent with erect, dendritic, densely branched, tree-like trichomes, these not persistent onto older stems; bark of older stems pale grayish-brown. Sympodial units difoliate, geminate. Leaves elliptic, widest at the middle, glabrous and shining adaxially, with a few scattered tree-like trichomes along the main veins, sparsely to densely pubescent along the veins abaxially, occasionally with a few trichomes on the lamina; major leaves 10-20 x 5.5-8 cm, with 6-9 pair of main lateral veins, these drying yellowish abaxially, the apex acute to acuminate, the base acute, somewhat decurrent on the petiole; petiole 1-1.5 cm long; minor leaves differing from the majors in size and shape, elliptic or orbicular, 2-9 x 1.5-6.5 cm, the apex acute to rounded, the base acute; petiole ca. 0.5 cm long. Inflorescence opposite the leaves, simple or occasionally once branched, l-3( 12) cm long, 5-10-flowered, densely pubescent with tree-like trichomes like those of the stems; pedicel scars closely spaced but not overlapping. Buds globose when young, later elliptic with the corolla strongly exserted from the calyx tube. Pedicels at anthesis slender, deflexed, abruptly contracted below the calyx tube, 0.6-1 cm long, 0.5 mm diam., densely pubescent with dendritic tree-like trichomes like those of the inflorescence. Flowers with the calyx tube conical, abruptly contracted to the pedicel, 1.5-2 mm long, the lobes minute, if present broadly deltate, 0.1-0.5 mm long, densely pubescent with dendritic, tree-like trichomes; corolla white, 1-1.3 cm diam., lobed nearly to the base, the lobes planar to slightly reflexed at anthesis, the abaxial surface pubescent with tree-like trichomes like those of the rest of the inflorescence, these denser along the margins and at the tips; anthers 2.5-3 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, poricidal at the tips, the pores teardrop shaped; free portion of the filaments ca. 0.5 mm long, the filament tube minute, ca. 0.25 mm long, glabrous; ovary glabrous to pubescent with dendritic treelike trichomes; style glabrous, heteromorphic, in long-styled flowers ca. 6 mm long, in short-styled flowers ca. 2 mm long, somewhat clavate; stigma a broadened area on the style tip, the surface minutely papillose. Fruit a globose, green berry, 1-1.5 cm diam.; fruiting pedicels woody, erect to somewhat deflexed, 1-1.5 cm long, 12 mm diam. at the base, swollen below the calyx lobes. Seeds tan, flattened-reniform with paler, incrassate margins, 2.5-3 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, the surfaces minutely pitted. Chromosome number not known.

Discussion

Solarium microleprodes is closely related to S. xanthophaeum and S. malletii, both of Peru. It shares with those species a dense indument of branched trichomes and swollen calyx tube base in fruit. The trichomes of S. microleprodes are tree-like or echinoid, with short, congested branches, while those of the two South American species are loosely dendritic. D’Arcy’s var. felicis from Chiriquí province has more loosely branched trichomes than material from Darien and Colombia, but specimens from Herrera and Veraguas are intermediate in this character.

Distribution

In secondary growth from Panama to N coastal Colombia, at 0-500 m.

Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Darién Panamá Central America| Herrera Panama Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America| Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Bolívar Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Magdalena Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Venezuela South America| Zulia Venezuela South America|