Solanum tepuiense 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. Bolívar: North-facing slope forest Sororopán, cumbre Sororopán-tepuí, 1,800 m, 15 Dec 1952, Maguire & Wurdack 33940 (holotype, NY; isotype, F).
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Description
Species Description - Shrub, 2.5 m tall; young stems and leaves with a few yellowish papillae, otherwise glabrous, the branches stout, strongly winged from the decurrent leaf bases; bark of older stems pale green, dull, the wings persisting. Sympodial units difoliate, geminate. Leaves elliptic ("repandly rugose" fide Maguire & Wurdack), thick and coriaceous, somewhat falcate, glabrous and shining adaxially, glabrous or with tufts of simple uni seriate trichomes 0.5-1 mm long, consisting of 5-15 small bead-like cells, at the junction of the main lateral veins and the midrib abaxially, the trichomes arising from the veins, not from the lamina; major leaves 8-14 x 3-5 cm, with 7-10 pairs of main lateral veins, these impressed adaxially, prominent and yellowish abaxially, the apex acute to acuminate, the base acute to attenuate, strongly decurrent onto the stem; petioles w inged from the leaf bases, 0.8-2.5 cm long; minor leaves not differing from the majors in shape, 3.5-8 x 1.5-3 cm, the apex acute to acuminate, the base acute to attenuate; petioles winged, 0.4-1 cm long. Inflorescences opposite the leaves, simple, with a few yellowish papillae at the tips, otherwise glabrous and drying dark brown, 1-1.6 cm long, with 10-14 flowers, only one or two open at a time;pedicel scars evenly spaced 1-1.5 mm apart, beginning about 1/3 of the way from the base. Buds globose when young, later ellipsoid, the corolla strongly exserted from the calyx tube just before anthesis. Pedicels at antítesis deflexed, glabrous, fleshy, apparently green, strongly tapered toward the base, 1.3-1.7 cm long, ca. 0.5 mm diam. at the base, ca. 2 mm diam. at the apex. Flowers with the calyx tube conical, 1-1.5 mm long, the lobes broadly debate with an acute apical projection, 0.5-1 mm long, the margins thin and transparent, a few golden papillae at the tips of the lobes; corolla white, somewhat thick and fleshy, 1.5-2 cm diam., lobed nearly to the base, the lobes planar at anthesis (?), minutely papillose at the tips and margins of the lobes; anthers 4-5 x 1.5-2 mm, poricidal at the tips, the pores teardrop shaped; free portion of the filaments ca. 0.5 mm long, the filament tube ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; ovary glabrous; style glabrous, 7-8 mm long, expanded apically; stigma bilobed, minutely papillose. Fruit a globose, green berry, hard at maturity, ca. 1.5 cm diam.; fruiting pedicels deflexed and woody, 2-2.5 cm long, ca. 1 mm diam. at the base, 2.5 mm diam. at the apex. Seeds reddish-brown, flattened-reniform, 4-4.5 x 2.53 mm, the margins incrassate and paler, the surfaces minutely pitted. Chromosome number not known.
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Discussion
Solarium tepuiense is related to S. nudum, a widespread species of Central and northern South America. It differs from S. nudum in its larger flowers and strongly winged stems. The internodes in the type collection are very short and are perhaps a distinctive feature of S. tepuiense, but may instead be related to habitat and thus not consistent. The trichomes of S. tepuiense are quite different from those of S. nudum in being composed of many small cells. The cells appear beadlike and are generally square in shape. The trichomes of S. nudum are composed of two or three elongate cells and are often branched.
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Distribution
Known only from the type collection from the top of Sororopán-tepuí, a low-elevation sandstone table mountain near the Gran Sabana region of Venezuela.
Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America|