Lycianthes geminiflora (M.Martens & Galeotti) Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Verein Bremen 24 [preprint]: 497. 1919

Dean, Ellen, Poore, Jennifer, Anguiano-Constante, Marco Antonio, Nee, Michael H., Kang, Hannah, Starbuck, Thomas, Rodrigues, Annamarie & Conner, Matthew, 2020, The genus Lycianthes (Solanaceae, Capsiceae) in Mexico and Guatemala, PhytoKeys 168, pp. 1-333 : 1

16 Lycianthes geminiflora (M.Martens & Galeotti) Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Verein Bremen 24 [preprint]: 497. 1919 Fig. 38

Solanum geminiflorum M.Martens & Galeotti, Bull. Acad. Brux. 12 (1): 142. 1845. Type: Mexico. Oaxaca: Chinantla (Toavela), 3000 ft, H. Galeotti 1242 (lectotype designated by Dean and Reyes 2018a, pg. 42: BR [000000552845]; isolectotypes: BR [000000552904], LE [LE00016926]).

Type.

Based on Solanum geminiflorum M.Martens & Galeotti.

Description.

Herb, shrub, to treelet, erect, 0.5-5 m tall. Indument of very small, off-white to tan, uniseriate, multicellular, simple, eglandular, appressed-ascending trichomes <0.1 (0.2) mm long. Stems green when young, sparsely to moderately pubescent, compressed upon drying in a plant press, woody with age; upper sympodial branching points monochasial or dichasial. Leaves simple, the leaves of the upper sympodia usually paired and unequal in size, the larger ones with blades 5-15 × 1.5-6 cm, the smaller ones with blades 2-6 × 0.5-3 cm, the leaf pairs usually similar in shape, the blades ovate, elliptic, or obovate, thin-membranaceous, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent, the base cuneate to attenuate, often oblique, the margin entire, usually undulate, the apex acute to acuminate, the petiole 0.2-0.5 (0.7) cm long, the larger leaf blades with 5-6 primary veins on each side of the midvein. Flowers solitary or in groups of 2-8, axillary, erect; peduncles absent; pedicels 8-20 mm and erect in flower, to 25 mm long and erect in fruit, glabrous to sparsely pubescent; calyx 1-1.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm in diameter, widely campanulate, puberulent with very small trichomes, the margin truncate, undulate, the appendages lacking; fruiting calyx not very enlarged, widely bowl-shaped, 0.5-1.5 mm long, 3-4 mm in diameter; corolla 0.6-1.2 cm long, campanulate to reflexed in orientation, stellate in outline, divided nearly to the base, interpetalar tissue mostly lacking, white and glabrous adaxially, yellow-green to green and puberulent abaxially; stamens equal, straight, the filaments ca. 1 mm long, glabrous, the anthers 3-3.5 mm long, elliptic, usually partially connivent to the adjacent anther (at least near the middle or base of the anther, not at the tips), yellow, glabrous, poricidal at the tips, the pores round, dehiscing distally, not opening into longitudinal slits; pistil with glabrous ovary, the style 6-8 mm long, linear, straight to curved, glabrous; stigma capitate, decurrent down two sides. Fruit a berry, 4-7 mm long, 4-10 mm in diameter, globose to depressed globose, orange-red at maturity, glabrous, lacking sclerotic granules. Seeds 20-70 per fruit, 1.25-1.75 × 1-1.25 mm, flattened, depressed ovate in outline, tan to orange, the surface reticulum with pitted serpentine pattern with deep luminae.

Chromosome number.

Unknown.

Distribution and habitat.

Mexico (Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz) in cloud forest, tropical dry forest, oak and oak-pine forest, sometimes in disturbed habitats, secondary forest, slopes, coffee plantations, 800-2200 (3000) m in elevation (Fig. 39 ).

Common names and uses.

Mexico. Oaxaca: leaves used as an edible green (Boyle 2631); ndia-sku-ya (Mazatec) (Giovannini 236a). Puebla: plant used as an edible green;, ndazkjuyoo (Mazateco) and cuajquilitl (Nahuatl) (C. Mota Cruz 652). Veracruz: hierba mora (Dorantes 100).

Phenology.

Flowering and fruits specimens have been collected most months of the year. Based on field observations by the first author, the corollas of this species are open for much of the day in some locations.

Preliminary conservation status.

Lycianthes geminiflora is a species of threatened cloud forests of central and southern Mexico, represented by 55 collections, all collected outside of protected areas. The EOO is 39,209.944 km2, and the AOO is 200 km2. Based on the IUCN (2019) criteria, the preliminary assessment category is Least Concern (LC).

Discussion.

Lycianthes geminiflora is a large herb to treelet, usually found in cloud forest on slopes. It is very similar to L. heteroclita (Sendtn.) Bitter, with which it can overlap in distribution in Mexico. The two species differ in the size of the flowering calyx, with that of L. geminiflora 1.5 mm long or less, and that of L. heteroclita usually 2 mm long or more.

Representative specimens examined.

Mexico. Hidalgo: Mpio. Tianguistengo, 10 km al E de Tianguistengo, [20.7265, -98.5279], 6 Jul 1995, M. Sousa Peña 594 (IEB, MEXU). Oaxaca: Sierra de Juárez, Mpio. Comaltepec, along Hwy 175 to the NE of the turnoff to Comaltepec, and NE of the cabins and restaurant of Mirador, trail on the southeast side of the road called Sendero Relampago, 17.5918, -96.3999, 2080 m, 10 Sep 2017, E. Dean 9521 (DAV). Puebla: La Guacamaya, [18.3375, -96.8230], 1100 m, Oct 2006, C. Mota-Cruz 652 (XAL). Veracruz: Rancho El Riscal, 19.4544, -96.9964, 2180 m, 26 Sep 2007, J. Hernández-M. 24 (XAL).

Figures

Figure 38. Image of herbarium specimen of L. geminiflora, Dean 9523 (DAV). Image used with permission of the UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity.

Figure 39. Map of geographic distribution of L. geminiflora based on herbarium specimen data.