Monographs Details:
Authority:
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
Acevedo-RodrÃguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
Family:
Solanaceae
Solanaceae
Description:
Species Description - Armed shrub, 1-3 m tall, branching pseudodichotomously; stems stellate-tomentulose, cylindrical, with slightly recurved, short, green prickles. Leaf blades 8-15 X 4.5-11 cm, with nearly ovate outline, chartaceous, upper surface slightly scabrous, lower surface with soft, stellate-pubescent trichomes, sometimes with a few prickles, the apex acute or obtuse, the base slightly unequal truncate to nearly cordate, the margins deeply sinuate or lobed; petioles 1-4 (-6) cm long, stout, stellate- pubescent, sometimes spiny. Flowers 5- merous, in lateral cymes; the axes 3-5 cm long stellate -pubescent , pedicles 5- 10 mm long, glandular - pubescent. Caylx bell shaped, 4-5 mm long, grandular -pubescent, the sepals ovate; corrolla white, nearly saucer shaped, 10-15 mm long, the lobes lanceolate, spreading 5-8 mm long, stellate - pubescent with out; anthers connivent or slightly spreading, yellow, subulate, unequal, 5-7 mm long, the filaments ca. 1mm long, free; style exserted , whitish, the stigma minutely capitate, green. Berry leathery, globous, 10-14 mm diam, glabrous, yellow at maturity. Seeds numerous, light brown, nearly lenticular 2.1-2.3mm long.
Species Description - Armed shrub, 1-3 m tall, branching pseudodichotomously; stems stellate-tomentulose, cylindrical, with slightly recurved, short, green prickles. Leaf blades 8-15 X 4.5-11 cm, with nearly ovate outline, chartaceous, upper surface slightly scabrous, lower surface with soft, stellate-pubescent trichomes, sometimes with a few prickles, the apex acute or obtuse, the base slightly unequal truncate to nearly cordate, the margins deeply sinuate or lobed; petioles 1-4 (-6) cm long, stout, stellate- pubescent, sometimes spiny. Flowers 5- merous, in lateral cymes; the axes 3-5 cm long stellate -pubescent , pedicles 5- 10 mm long, glandular - pubescent. Caylx bell shaped, 4-5 mm long, grandular -pubescent, the sepals ovate; corrolla white, nearly saucer shaped, 10-15 mm long, the lobes lanceolate, spreading 5-8 mm long, stellate - pubescent with out; anthers connivent or slightly spreading, yellow, subulate, unequal, 5-7 mm long, the filaments ca. 1mm long, free; style exserted , whitish, the stigma minutely capitate, green. Berry leathery, globous, 10-14 mm diam, glabrous, yellow at maturity. Seeds numerous, light brown, nearly lenticular 2.1-2.3mm long.
Discussion:
Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; native of tropical America but now naturalized
Cultivated species: Solanum seaforthianum Andr. was reported for St John by Britton and Wilson (1925) and by Woodbury and Weaver (1987), apparently from a cultivated plant.
Distribution:
Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America|
Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America|