Solanum cucullatum S.Knapp

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Solanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Solanum cucullatum S.Knapp

  • Type

    Type. Ecuador. El Oro: on Lojar-Machalard., 10 km W of Las Balzas, 11.5 km E of Loja-Piñas crossroads (31.5 km E of La Avanzada near Santa Rosa), W slope of N portion of the Cordillera Larga, along stream in forest, ca. 700 m, 3°45'S, 79°50'W, 7 Feb 1984, Knapp & Mallet 6266 (holotype, BH; isotypes, F, K, QCA, QCNE, US).

  • Description

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    Species Description - Small treelet, 2-6 m tall; young stems and leaves densely red-papillose, the papillae persistent onto the older stems; older stems partially glabrate, gray, not winged; bark of the trunk gray, smooth. Sympodial units difoliate, geminate. Leaves elliptic, widest at or just proximal to the middle, the upper surfaces appearing matte in live plants, glabrous, minutely reddish-gray papillose along the veins below; major leaves 20-45 x 14-21 cm, with 7-9 pairs of main lateral veins, these prominent above and below, the apex acute, the base attenuate, decurrent on the petiole but not onto the stem; petioles 2.5-3 mm long, winged from the decurrent leaf bases; minor leaves differing from the major ones only in size, 10-15 x 6-11 cm, the apex acute, the base attenuate, winged onto the petiole; petioles 1-2 cm long. Inflorescences opposite the leaves, occasionally furcate, 5-7 mm long, 5-20-flowered, densely reddish-gray papillose like the young stems and leaves; pedicel scars closely spaced and overlapping, rather corky. Buds densely red-papillose, ovoid with the tip of the closed calyx elongate and flopping over the rest of the bud, appearing hooded, the corolla soon exserted from the calyx, then the bud appearing five-pointed from the secondary hoods of the corolla lobes. Pedicels at antitesis white and fleshy, 1.2-1.5 cm long, erect or de-flexed, ca. 0.75 mm diam. at the base. Flowers with the calyx tube campanulate, ca. 3 mm long, the lobes long-triangular-deltoid, 3-5 mm long, densely red-papillose, the margins thickened and white in dry specimens; corolla white and fleshy, 2-3 cm diam., lobed ca. 2/3 of the way to the base, the interpetalar sinuses and lobe margins thin and eróse, the lobes planar at anthesis, tips of the lobes with two hoods, one arising from the tip itself and the other (secondary hood) from a thickened ridge along the entire adaxial surface of the corolla lobe; anthers slightly asymmetric in flower, with two held higher than the rest, this character not apparent in dried specimens, ca. 5 x 1-1.5 mm, poricidal at the tips, the pores teardrop shaped; free portion of the filaments 0.51 mm long, the filament tube 1-1.5 mm long, visible in the flower; ovary densely pinkish-gray papillose, the papillae tiny in flower, but growing with the fruit; style straight, ca. 7 mm long; stigma a broadened area on the tip of the style, minutely papillose. Fruit a globose berry, ca. 3 cm diam. (immature), densely pinkish-gray papillose; fruiting pedicels woody, deflexed or erect, ca. 2 cm long, ca. 2 mm diam. at the base. Seeds tan, ovoid-reniform, size not measured as mature ones not seen, the surfaces minutely pitted. Chromosome number: n = 12 (voucher Knapp & Mallet 6266).

  • Discussion

    Solanum cucullatum is closely related to S. abitaguense and is difficult to tell from that species on the herbarium sheet. Both species grow along streams in forests, have large flowers and fruits, and distinctive fruit pubescence (see discussion for S. abitaguense). Characters useful in distinguishing S. cucullatum from S. abitaguense are its unwinged grayish stems, more elongate hooded buds, and its extremely fleshy flowers with doubly-hooded petal tips. In live plants the leaves of S. cucullatum have matte surfaces, while those of S. abitaguense are somewhat glossy. The abaxial petal surfaces of the flowers of S. cucullatum dry greenish-pink.

    Small individuals of S. cucullatum appear to be female sterile, while larger plants have hermaphroditic flowers. This does not appear to be the case in S. abitaguense. Many more collections of S. cucullatum are needed to establish this as a pattern in the species.

  • Distribution

    In premontane or montane wet forest on the W slope of the Andes in Ecuador and adjacent Peru, from 700 to ca. 2500 m.

    Ecuador South America| Azuay Ecuador South America| Bolívar Ecuador South America| El Oro Ecuador South America| Imbabura Ecuador South America| Los Ríos Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Cajamarca Peru South America|