Solanum leiophyllum Benth., 1844

Knapp, Sandra, 2013, A revision of the Dulcamaroid Clade of Solanum L. (Solanaceae), PhytoKeys 22, pp. 1-432 : 156-159

22. Solanum leiophyllum Benth. , Pl. Hartw. 146. 1844 Figure 57

Solanum benthamii Dunal, Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 13(1): 101. 1852, nom. nov. superfl. Type: Based on Solanum leiophyllum Benth.

Type.

Ecuador. Loja: Chuquiribamba, K.T. Hartweg 812 (holotype: K [K00585549]; isotypes: BM [BM000815948], F (F0073110, frag.), G [G00070187], K [K000545697], LD [LD-1088980], NY [NY00172061], P [P00324725, Morton neg. 8152], W [W-0022642, [F neg. 33049]).

Description.

Shrubs to 3 m tall, the stems often scandent. Stems and leaves densely pubescent with loosely branching, lax, dendritic trichomes, these sometimes mixed with simple trichomes, later deciduous; leaf scars prominently raised, the stem strongly winged from the decurrent leaf bases; new growth densely pubescent with long, loose, dendritic trichomes to 2 mm long. Bark of older stems grey-brown, glabrate or sparsely pubescent with long dendritic or simple trichomes. Sympodial units plurifoliate, branching monochasial. Leaves simple, 1-4.5 cm long, 0.8-3 cm wide, broadly elliptic or ovate, shiny, fleshy, and coriaceous, the adaxial surfaces of the blades shiny and glabrous, the abaxial surfaces loosely pubescent with long dendritic trichomes along the veins and lamina, with some trichomes on the revolute margins; primary veins 3-6 pairs, strongly impressed above; base broadly acute, winged on to the petiole; margins entire, strongly revolute; apex broadly acute; petiole 1-2 mm long, winged from the decurrent leaf bases onto the stem. Inflorescences terminal, appearing lateral from overtopping shoot growth, 1.5-7 cm long, flattened globose in outline, branching 1-4 times, with 8-10(-30) flowers, the axis densely pubescent with loose dendritic trichomes; peduncle 0.8-2 cm long; pedicels 1.1-1.6 cm long, tapering from a basal diameter of 0.5-1 mm to an apical diameter of 1-1.5 mm, nodding at anthesis, sparsely pubescent with long simple and/or dendritic trichomes, articulated at the base and inserted in a sleeve ca. 1 mm long; pedicel scars spaced 1-2 mm apart. Buds ellipsoid, the corolla strongly exserted from the calyx tube. Flowers all perfect, 5-merous, nodding at anthesis. Calyx tube conical, 1.5-2 mm long, the lobes long-triangular, 2-2.5 mm long, with scattered dendritic trichomes abaxially, these denser at the tips of the lobes, sparsely pubescent adaxially with simple trichomes along the veins. Corolla violet or a darker purple, 1.8-2 cm in diameter, stellate to slightly campanulate, lobed 3/4 of the way to the base, the lobes 8-10 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, planar at anthesis, densely pubescent abaxially with tiny dendritic trichomes, these denser at the tips of the lobes, glabrous adaxially. Filament tube absent; free portion of the filaments ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; anthers 5.5-6 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, loosely connivent, the bases caudate, poricidal at the tips, the pores becoming slit-like with age. Ovary glabrous; style 0.8-1 cm long, glabrous; stigma minutely bilobed, the surface minutely papillose. Fruit a globose berry, 0.8-1.3 cm in diameter, black with thin pericarp; fruiting pedicels 1.8 -2 cm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter at the base woody, deflexed. Seeds ca. 7 per fruit, 3.5-4 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, reddish-brown, flattened lenticular, the surfaces minutely pitted. Chromosome number: not known.

Distribution

( Figure 58 ). Southern Ecuador and northern Peru; 2000-4000 m.

Ecology.

In open areas in Polylepis Ruiz & Pav. (Rosaceae) cloud forest and in grass páramo above timberline.

Conservation status.

Near Threatened (NT); EOO <45,000 km2 (NT) and AOO>10,000 km2 (LC). See Moat (2007) for explanation of measurements.

Discussion.

Knapp (1989) only knew Solanum leiophyllum from the type collection. Since then, intensive collecting in southern Ecuador by botanists from the University of Loja (LOJA) has greatly increased out knowledge of the distribution of this endemic species. It is still relatively rare geographically, but can be locally common where it is found. Specimens from Peru ( León et al. 5562, 5581) have long simple trichomes mixed with the loose dendritic trichomes typical of Ecuadorian populations of Solanum leiophyllum . The shiny leaf uppersides, nodding purple flowers and black fruits are the same.

Specimens examined.

Ecuador. Azuay: Road Gualaceo-Limón (General Plaza Gutiérrez), km. 25.2, side road at the pass to antennas and military post 1.5 km, 3540 m, 12 Jan 2000, Jørgensen et al. 1863 (BM); Eastern Cordillera, between Ona and the Río Yacuambi, 3000 m, 10 Sep 1945, Prieto 309 (MO); Cantón Gualaceo, Carretera Cuenca-Gualaceo-Limón Indanza, km 23-25, 3500 m, 10 Jul 1995, Ávarez & Tirado 1480 (BM); Loja: Loma del Oro,, 2800 m, 4 Aug 1986, Jaramillo et al. 8810 (AAU); road Loja-Cuenca, km 50, track to Fierro Urco, km 11, 3600 m, 25 Oct 1996, Lewis & Lozano 2726 (K).

Peru. Cajamarca: Jaén, Paramillo de Pomahuaca, antes del pajonal, 3200 m, 8 Nov 1999, Díaz & Campos 10908 (BM, MO); San Martín: Mariscal Cáceres, Laguna Verde, entre el campamento y el Concejo de Laguna Verde, 3760 m, 21 Jun 2010, León & Ullilen 5562 (USM); Mariscal Cáceres, Laguna Verde, alrededores, Dist. Huicungo, 3599 m, 23 Jun 2010, León et al. 5581 (USM); Mariscal Cáceres, Chochos, 3350 m, 24 Nov 1985, Young 2407 (MOL).

Figures

Figure 57. Solanum leiophyllum Benth. (A-C drawn from Hartweg 812). Reproduced from Knapp (1989) with permission of the Natural History Museum Botany Library.

Figure 58. Distribution of Solanum leiophyllum Benth.