Cyphomandra divaricata (Mart.) Sendtn.

  • Authority

    Bohs, Lynn A. 1994. Cyphomandra (Solanaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 63: 154. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Solanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cyphomandra divaricata (Mart.) Sendtn.

  • Synonyms

    Witheringia divaricata Mart., Cyphomandra divaricata var. herbacea Sendtn., Pionandra divaricata (Mart.) Miers, Pionandra capsicoides (Mart.) Miers, Pionandra ciliata Miers, Cyphomandra divaricata var. flexipes Sendtn., Cyphomandra capsicoides (Mart.) Walp., Cyphomandra ciliata (Miers) Walp., Cyphomandra oxyphylla Dunal, Cyphomandra laxiflora Dunal, Pionandra laxiflora (Dunal) Miers, Pionandra oxyphylla (Dunal) Miers

  • Description

    Species Description - Small tree 1-6 m tall. Branches glabrous to densely pubescent-pilose with curled eglandular hairs ca. 1-2 mm long. Leaf blades simple, unlobed, chartaceous to membranaceous, acuminate at apex, sparsely to moderately pubescent-pilose adaxially, glabrous to densely pubescent-pilose abaxially; petioles glabrous to densely pubescent-pilose. Trunk leaves not represented. Crown leaves 4 per sympodial unit, the blade elliptic to ovate, 3-18 cm long, 1.5-7 cm wide, length:width ratio 1.5-3(-4):1, the base cuneate, truncate, or rounded, without basal lobes; petioles 0.5-2 cm long. Inflorescence simple, 4-20(-30)-flowered, 5-30 cm long; peduncle 2-6.5 cm long; rachis 3-27 cm long; pedicels (10-) 15-25 mm long, 20-35 mm long in fruit, (1-)4-15(-30) mm apart, articulated near the base, leaving pedicellar remnants up to 1 (-2) mm long; peduncle, rachis, and pedicels glabrous to densely pubescent-pilose. Flower buds ovoid, acute or obtuse at apex. Calyx chartaceous, moderately pubescent-pilose, the radius 3-7 mm, the lobes (1.5)3-6 mm long, 1.5-2 m wide, triangular, acute, often dentate at base. Corolla white, green, or purplish, chartaceous to membranaceous, (stellate-)campanulate, the radius 10-22 mm, the tube 3-4 mm long, the lobes narrowly triangular, 7-19 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, sparsely to densely pubescent-pilose abaxially, glabrous to sparsely pubescent adaxially, the margin tomentose to ciliate with hairs up to 1 mm long, the apex acute. Anther thecae yellow, white, or purplish, lanceolate, 7-8 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, the pores directed abaxially; connective purple, broad at base, abruptly constricted 1-2 mm above base, 8-9 mm long, 2-3 mm wide at base, abaxially slightly shorter than thecae at apex, exceeding them at base by 1 mm, adaxially absent. Ovary glabrous; style glabrous, cylindrical, not to slightly dilated distally, 6-9 mm long, 0.5-1 mm in diam., about equal to or exserted ca. 1-2 mm beyond stamens; stigma truncate, 0.5-1.5 mm in diam. Fruit ellipsoidal, obtuse at apex, 2.5-4.5 cm long, 1-3 cm in diam., glabrous (occasionally minutely puberulent), the color when ripe unknown; mesocarp with smooth oval stone cell aggregates ca. 3-5 mm long and 3 mm in diam.; seeds

  • Discussion

    Reputedly ornamental (Mexia 5310).

    This species is unique among the Brazilian representatives of Cyphomandra in having truncate to cuneate leaf bases, long, slender, curved stamens, and cylindrical styles with small stigmas. The structure of the androecium resembles that of the C. calycina group, but the anthers are much longer than any other species in the group, and the membranaceous corolla, slender stigma and style, and glabrous fruits are out of place in that alliance. The long narrow anthers, cylindrical styles, and glabrous fruits of C. divaricata point toward a resemblance to Andean species such as C. tenuisetosa, C. pendula, and C. hartwegii, but C. divaricata differs from each in many characters. The affinities of C. divaricata remain unknown.

    Several characters exhibit variation throughout the geographical range of C. divaricata. Collections from the northern part of the range, in Bahia, Espirito Santo, and Minas Gerais, are often nearly glabrous. Pubescence tends to increase southward. There is also some variation in the size of the calyx. Most collections have large calyces with a radius of 5-7 mm and narrow lobes about 3-4 mm long and 1.5-2 mm wide. A few specimens, especially from the area around Rio de Janeiro, have calyx radii measuring about 3 mm, with shorter and relatively broader lobes about 1.5-2 mm long and 1.5-2 mm wide. These latter collections, which include the types of C. divaricata var. herbacea, C. capsicoides, C. ciliata, C. oxyphylla, and C. laxiflora, also have relatively broad leaf blades and may have minutely puberulent fruits. Further studies are needed to determine if this variation is significant enough to be recognized taxonomically.

    Martius (1829) did not designate a single specimen as a type of his Witheringia divaricata. I have chosen as lectotype a specimen at M that roughly matches his Figure 228 and that bears the locality data cited in his protologue. The label and protologue give no collection number, but a small tag attached to the twig bears the number 496. Two other sheets at M have the label data “Martius, Iter brasiliense, St. Pauli,” and the small tags attached to the twigs bear the numbers 497 and 498. Although it is possible that all three collections are duplicates, I do not consider them isolectotypes because of the differences in the small numbered tags.

    Sendtner’s type information for C. divaricata var. herbacea is given simply as “legit in Brasilia australiore Sellow” (Sendtner, 1845). The specimen and photographs I have seen that are annotated as this variety bear the number Sellow 252. The only known extant specimen of Sellow 252 (at P) has been chosen as the lectotype.

    Similarly, Sendtner (1846) did not give any further information for his type of C. divaricata var. flexipes other than "Schott." Without number or locality data it is difficult to be sure of the type, but a sheet of Schott 5450 at W is annotated as this variety and is here designated as the lectotype.

    Miers, in 1845, described Pionandra capsicoides and later illustrated it in his volume of 1850 (Fig. 33). In the protologue, he refers to Solanum capsicoides Mart., a species originally described in Martius’ Herbarium Florae Brasiliensis in 1838. Examination of Martius’ protologue for Solanum capsicoides indicates that this species has stellate hairs and thus probably belongs to Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum. In addition, Martius states that the specimen was collected in woods on the mountain of Corcovado near the city of Rio de Janeiro and that it bore only fruits and no flowers.

    Miers’ account of Pionandra capsicoides describes the flowers in detail and mentions that it was found at Cabo Frio in the state of Rio de Janeiro and at Villa Rica in Minas Gerais. Evidently he is basing his taxon Pionandra capsicoides on Martius’ specimens at BM and possibly at K, which were collected at these localities and bear an unpublished herbarium name in the genus Witheringia. Thus, Miers apparently did not see the type specimen of Martius’ Solanum capsicoides, and Solanum capsicoides Mart., a true Solanum, has nothing to do with Miers’ species. The name is here accordingly referred to as Pionandra capsicoides Miers rather than Pionandra capsicoides (Mart.) Miers.

    Furthermore, the BM sheet is a mixture of two collections of this species, one from Cabo Frio, the other from Villa Rica. As this sheet is labeled "Herb. John Miers" and both specimens are mentioned in Miers’ protologue, I consider them to be syntypes and have chosen the lectotype as Martius, Cabo Frio, BM with the isolectotype at K.

    The sole existing Miers specimen labeled as C. ciliata ("Cerastemon (sic) ciliatum" on the sheet) known to me has been chosen as the lectotype of this name. The specimen bears only fruits, in accordance with Miers’ protologue.

    Dunal (1852) cites the type of C. laxiflora as "Brazil, Sellow, in h. Banks." The only sheet at BM labeled with this epithet is Sellow 158, which I take to be the holotype. The specimen has only flowers, in accordance with Dunal’s description. The sheet is labeled "Solanum laxiflorum," and Solanum laxiflorum Dunal is cited by Dunal (1852) as a synonym of Cyphomandra laxiflora Dunal. Solanum laxiflorum Dunal is not validly published according to Art. 34 of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Greuter et al., 1988), although Cyphomandra laxiflora Dunal is. Solanum laxiflorum Dunal is furthermore a homonym of Solanum laxiflorum Sendtner. Sendtner’s species has no relationship with Dunal’s C. laxiflora.

  • Common Names

    Baga de veado, tomate arboreo, unha de veado

  • Objects

    Specimen - 669208, R. M. Klein 3746, Solanum melissarum (Mart.) Bohs, Solanaceae (287.0), Magnoliophyta; South America, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Canoinhas Mun.

  • Distribution

    Primary or secondary forest, often in Araucaria groves, coastal rain forest region of southeastern Brazil in the states of Bahia, Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraiba, Parana, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, and São Paulo at elevations of 50-800 m. Flowering specimens have been collected in January, February, May, and September through December, with a peak of flowering from October through January. Fruiting specimens have been collected in January, February, May, and December.

    Bahia Brazil South America| Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Paraíba Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America|