Solanum campaniforme Roem. & Schult.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Solanaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Solanum campaniforme Roem. & Schult.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil,  in Brasilia," Hoffmannsegg s.n. (holotype, B-W [F neg. 2892]).

  • Synonyms

    Solanum caeruleum Vell., Solanum laxiflorum Dunal, Solanum cearense Dunal, Solanum falcatum Witasek, Solanum microrbitum L.B.Sm. & Downs, Solanum dusenii L.B.Sm. & Downs

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrubs 1-4 m tall; young stems and leaves sparsely pubescent with uniseriate trichomes ca. 0.5 mm long, occasionally glabrous; older stems glabrate, grayish. Sympodial units difoliate, geminate. Leaves elliptic to narrowly elliptic, widest at the middle, glabrous and shiny above, pubescent beneath with tufts of uniseriate trichomes in the axils of the main lateral veins, the trichomes ca. 0.5 mm long, often quite matted and dense; major leaves 5-14 x 2-4.5 cm, with 4-8 pairs of main lateral veins, these prominent and yellowish beneath, the apex acute to acuminate, the base acute, slightly decurrent onto the petiole; petioles 0.5-1.5 cm long; minor leaves differing from the major ones only in size, 1.5-5 x 0.9-3 cm, the apex acute to acuminate, the base acute; petioles 2-5 mm long. Inflorescences opposite the leaves, often overtopping the leaves when near the new growth, occasionally branching, long and flexuous, 1-10 cm long, 5-50-flowered, sparsely pubescent with uniseriate trichomes ca. 0.5 mm long, these more dense near the distal end; pedicel scars irregularly spaced 0.5-5 mm apart, beginning ca. 1/3 of the way from the base of the inflorescence. Buds elliptic, the corolla soon exserted from the calyx tube, glabrous or pubescent with uniseriate trichomes like the rest of the inflorescence. Pedicels at anthesis filiform, deflexed, 1-1.3 cm long, tapering from the calyx tube to a threadlike base ca. 0.25 mm diam. Flowers with the calyx tube a flattened cup, 1-1.5 mm long, the lobes quadrate-deltoid, apiculate, the margins hyaline, 0.5-1 mm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with uniseriate trichomes; corolla white, 1.2-1.8 cm diam., lobed nearly to the base, the lobes planar or campanulate at anthes is, the lobes minutely papillose on the tips and margins; anthers 3-3.5 x ca. 1 mm, poricidal at the tips, the pores teardrop shaped; free portion of the filaments 0.25-0.5 mm long, the filament tube 0.5-1 mm long; ovary glabrous; style straight, 5-7 mm long; stigma capitate, minutely papillose. Fruit a globose, green (blue fide Vellozo) berry, 1-2 cm diam.; fruiting pedicels somewhat woody, deflexed, 1.5-3 cm long, ca. 1 mm diam. at the base. Seeds russet brown, flattened-reniform, 24 x 1.5-3 mm, the margins incrassate, pitted, the surfaces of the body of the seed smooth, the lateral cell walls of the testa sinuate in outline. Chromosome number not known.

  • Discussion

    Solanum campaniforme is a widespread and variable species, and the following relatively well-marked geographical races exist.

    1. Plants from the northern part of the range in the Guianas and around the mouth of the Amazon are glabrous with somewhat larger flowers than those from SE Brazil. The type of Solanum campaniforme comes from among these populations.

    2. Collections from Ceará are generally more pubescent than many, and may approach Solanum intermedium, but do not bear the distinctive golden trichomes of that species.

    3. Plants from Espirito Santo and Bahia retain the trichomes of the inflorescence characteristic of more southerly specimens of Solanum campaniforme, but otherwise approach the type in general morphology. These populations grow in coastal restinga or forest.

    4. In the forests of Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, and São Paulo, plants have medium size flowers, elongate inflorescences, and berries about 1 cm diam. Plants from these populations have been called Solanum caeruleum.

    5. In the drier forests of Minas Gerais, populations consist of plants with larger flowers which often appear blue when dry and longer, more pubescent inflorescences. These have been called Solanum laxiflorum.

    6. The southernmost populations from Santa Catarina and Paraná have smaller leaves and shorter inflorescences than plants from more northerly populations. Intermediates exist however, and the differences are minute. These plants have been called Solanum dusenii and S. microrbitum.

    These geographical races are not easily delimitable, and the entire range of intermediates is found. Naming these would be counterproductive and serve to confuse an already complex situation that merits further field study.

    Solanum campaniforme has been collected from a variety of habitats including coastal forest and capoeira. It appears to be an opportunistic species and grows in open areas wherever they are found. Some of the morphological variation observed in S. campaniforme may be the result of ecotypic differences.

    The lectotype I have chosen for the name Solanum laxiflorum, a synonym of S. campaniforme, is most clearly documented and the first of the collections cited by Sendtner. The other collections cited in the original description have no localities, and though specimens of these are deposited at M, I prefer to use as a lectotype the Martius collection. Additional isotypes will be more easily determined using this better-documented specimen.

  • Common Names

    aguata gallina, bobola, cachorro, mucura caa-rana, joá manso, juá

  • Distribution

    In eastern Brazil from the mouth of the Rio Amazonas to the state of Rio Grande do Sul; also in the Gran Sabana region of Venezuela and adjacent Guyana; from around sea level to ca. 1200 m.

    Venezuela South America| Anzoátegui Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Bahia Brazil South America| Ceará Brazil South America| Espirito Santo Brazil South America| Maranhão Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Paraná Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America|