Solanum ombrophilum Pittier ex S.Knapp
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Authority
Knapp, Sandra D. 2002.
section (Solanaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 84: 1-404. (Published by NYBG Press) -
Family
Solanaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Venezuela. Aragua: Parque Nacional Henri Pittier, Portachuelo to Pico Periquito trail, 1100-1400 m, 10°21'N, 79°42'W, 28 Oct 1984, Knapp & Mallet 6857 (holotype, MY, isotypes, BH, K, US, VEN).
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Synonyms
Solanum arboreum Dunal
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Description
Species Description - Slender, single-stemmed shrubs, 1-2 m tall; young stems and leaves glabrous or minutely red-papillose; stems winged from the decurrent leaf bases; bark of older stems pale grayish-red. Sympodial units unifoliate. Leaves ovate to narrowly elliptic, thin and membranous, widest at or proximal to the middle, glabrous on both surfaces, 10-30 x 4-15 cm, with 9-11 pairs of main lateral veins, these raised above, prominent and reddish-gold below in dry specimens, the apex long-acuminate, the base acute, strongly decurrent onto the petiole and then onto the stem; petioles narrowly winged, 0.8-3 cm long. Inflorescences opposite the leaves or internodal, simple, 0.5-2 cm long, 2-5-flow-ered, glabrous or minutely papillose, the papillae soon deciduous; pedicel scars closely spaced, but not overlapping, beginning near the base of the inflorescence. Buds translucent and fleshy, globose, the corolla soon exserted from the hyaline calyx tube. Pedicels at antithesis deflexed, translucent green, 0.8-1 cm long, tapering from the calyx tube to a slender base ca. 0.5 mm diam. Flowers with the calyx tube broadly and shallowly cup-shaped, 0.5-1 mm long, the lobes broadly deltoid, 0.25-0.5 mm long, hyaline in dry specimens, glabrous; corolla white or greenish-white, 0.8-1 cm diam., lobed ¾ of the way to the base, the lobes reflexed at anthesis, the tips of the lobes minutely papillose; anthers 1.5-3 x 1-1.5 mm, poricidal at the tips, the terminal 0.1 mm paler and thickened, the pores teardrop shaped; ovary glabrous; style straight, 4-6 mm long in long-styled flowers, 1-1.5 mm long in short-styled flowers; stigma small-capitate, minutely papillose, drying dark. Fruit a globose, green berry, 0.8-1 cm diam.; fruiting pedicels elongate, slightly woody, deflexed, 2-3 cm long, ca. 0.75 mm diam. at the base; calyx lobes woody and somewhat accrescent in fruit, 3-4 mm long. Seeds pale tan, ovoid-reniform, ca. 4 x 2 mm, the surfaces deeply pitted. Chromosome number: n = 12 (vouchers Knapp & Mallet 6842, 6847, 6857).
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Discussion
Solarium ombrophilum is similar and closely related to S. pastillum of montane Costa Rica, but differs from it in its unifoliate nodes, deltoid calyx lobes, and more closely packed pedicel scars. The flowers of S. ombrophilum vary considerably in size depending on their sex, with male (short-styled) flowers being much smaller and having shorter anthers than hermaphroditic flowers. Flowers of both types can be borne on the same plant, and flowers with intermediate style lengths occasionally occur. A given individual, however, is most often either short-styled or long-styled. Solarium ombrophilum is quite common where it occurs, and at the type locality is an important component of the forest understory.
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Distribution
In the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela, from the state of Yaracuy to the Paria peninsula at 1000-1900 m.
Venezuela South America| Aragua Venezuela South America| Distrito Federal Venezuela South America| Sucre Venezuela South America| Yaracuy Venezuela South America|