Lycianthes ciliolata var. pratorum Bitter

A Revision of Lycianthes series Meizonodontae
(UC) UC Berkeley/ (XAL) Institute) de Ecologia, Xalapa
Lycianthes ciliolata (Mart. & Gal.) Bitter
Mexico: State of Oaxacajalong hwy 175, NE of the city of Oaxaca, Las Animas;
7800 ft.
Waste ground, S side of road, with Cuphea, mints, scrub oaks, Solarium, and
Compositae. Original vegetation damp oak forest with bromeliads. Now heavily
agricultural with seasonal burning. Soil tan and sandy. Herbaceous perennial from
storage root; rare, just a few plants found at this place although herbicides not used; in
flower and early fruit; flowers lilac with violet rays, open at 9 am but new flowers
closed by 9:12 am, older flowers stayed open longer; immature fruit large and green.
Informants: Old woman along road, interviewed Oct. 12; Constancia Juarez, Oct 12;
Middle aged woman who owns store, July 19. Uses: Old woman said that it has a dark,
sweet edible fruit. Used to be more common here, now very uncommon. The “other
class” is even less common, and has a green fruit. Constancia said that it has an edible
fruit. Uncommon here. Used to be more common. They think it is disappearing because
of cultivation, but it isn't a forest plant; they bum and cultivate the same field every
year; other woman said it has an edible fruit, found in com fields, not very popular
here. Indigenous names: "chichi de perra", one of two classes; "chichi de perra" or
"getito"; "chichi de perra" or "violeta del campo"
Ellen Dean 232	19 July 1991
with Thomas Starbuck
Fieldwork supported by grants and fellowships from:
the National Science Foundation, Explorer's Club, Sigma Xi, Hardman Foundation,
Tinker Foundation, and UC Berkeley
01424505