Brachistus virgatus H.J.P. Winkl., Repert., 2022

Costa-Silva, Rafael & Agra, Maria de Fatima, 2022, Taxonomic Revision of Lycianthes (Capsiceae, Solanaceae) in Brazil, Systematic Botany (Basel, Switzerland) 47 (3), pp. 642-666 : 661-662

4. LYCIANTHES LEPTOCAULIS (Rusby) Rusby, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 53: 210. 1926. Brachistus leptocaulis Rusby, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 199. 1899. TYPE: BOLIVIA. Depto. La Paz: Prov. Larecaja, Guanay, 2000 ft, May 1886, H. Rusby 2657 (holotype: NY! barcode NY00138557 [image!]).

Lycianthes buchtienii Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 337. 1919. Brachistus virgatus H.J.P. Winkl., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 245. 1909. TYPE: BOLIVIA. Depto. La Paz: Prov. Larecaja, Mapiri, Charopampa , 570 m, Nov 1907, O. Buchtien 1433 (holotype: BRA n.v.; isotype: US 1133333 barcode US 00027414 [image!]). Synonymized by Nee (2014).

Lycianthes acutangula Bitter ssp. compressibaccata (Bitter) Bitter, Abh Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 34: 358. 1919. Solanum compressibaccatum Bitter, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 12: 456. 1913. TYPE: PERU. Depto. Loreto: Cerro de Ponasa, 1200 m, Feb 1903, E. Ule 6800 (B† [probably destroyed] F Field Museum negative 2560 [photo!]; lectotype: HBG! barcode HBG511426 [image!], designated by Costa-Silva and Agra (2018a); isolectotypes: CORD 4168 image!, G!, K barcode K000585774 [image!]; MG6634!). Synonymized by Costa-Silva and Agra (2018b).

Lycianthes actinocalyx (H.J.P. Winkl.) Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 338. 1919. Solanum actinocalyx (H.J.P. Winkl.) Hunz., Kurtziana 5:167. 1969. Brachistus actinocalyx H.J.P. Winkl., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 7: 245. 1909. TYPE: BOLIVIA. Depto. La Paz: Prov. Larecaja, Mapiri, Charopampa, 570 m, Nov 1907, O. Buchtien 1432 (lectotype designated here: NY barcode NY00007510 [image!]: isolectotypes: NY barcode NY00007511[image!]; US 1175858 barcode US 00027403 [image!]). Synonymized by Nee (2014).

Lycianthes longidentata Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 356. 1919. Solanum longidentatum (Bitter) C.V. Morton, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 29: 63. 1944. TYPE: BRAZIL. Amazonas: Rio Acre, Estella, Seringal S ~ ao Francisco, Mar 1911, E. Ule 9733 (holotype: B† [probably destroyed] F photo 2582!; lectotype: NY 138711 [image!], designated by Costa-Silva and Agra (2018a).; isolectotypes: K 585776 [image!], L 2881557 [image!], MG 273740! S 04–2937 [Image!], U 113835 [image!], US 1615237 [image 27888!]). Synonymized by Nee (2014).

Liana, 2.0–4.0 m high. Stem and branches terete, glabrous, striate lengthwise. Leaves solitary; petiole slightly grooved, 0.5–1.0 cm long, indument puberulent, trichomes simple, uniseriate, lamina membranaceous to chartaceous, 3.7–8.3 3 1.8–3.0 cm, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, adaxial and abaxial surface glabrescent, trichomes simple on the midrib and secondary veins, sparse on the lamina, apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate or oblique, margin slightly sinuate. Inflorescence of 2–3 axillary flowers. Pedicels terete, 2.5–3.0 cm long, glabrescent, slender on the proximal portion, slightly enlarged near the calyx. Calyx campanulate, 2.6–2.8 3 1.0– 1.5 cm, margin truncate, appendages 10, emerging 0.5–0.7 mm below the calyx margin, unequal, in two series, the smaller ones 0.4–0.5 mm long, the larger ones 6.0– 6.5 mm long, puberulent, trichomes simple, uniseriate. Corolla lilac to white, rotate, 1.6–3.0 cm diam, lobes oblong-elliptic, 1.5– 0.7 cm long, puberulent at the apex, interpetalar tissue well-developed, glabrous, 0.6–0.7 cm wide; filaments unequal (1 1 4), the largest 2.0– 2.5 mm long, the 4 shorter ones 0.6–0.8 mm long, anthers yellow, oblong, 3.2–3.9 mm long; ovary ovoid, 0.8–1.2 mm diam, style 5.0– 5.2 mm long, stigma whitish, clavate, 0.5–1.0 mm long. Fruit subglobose, 0.7–0.8 cm diam; fruiting pedicels 2.0– 2.5 cm long, slightly expanded from the base to the calyx; calyx accrescent, appendages enlarged, 0.8–2.0 cm long, spreading, somewhat arched or folded on herbarium samples. Seeds not seen. Figure 4 .

Distribution, Habitat, and Phenology — Lycianthes leptocaulis has its distribution concentrated in the Amazonian regions of Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru ( Fig. 11 ). It is usually found in areas of open vegetation. In Brazil, it is a common species in the states of Rondonia ^and Acre along forest edges, in drylands or on clayey soils, and in disturbed environments, such as farms, pastures and areas disturbed by mining activities, at elevations at 20 to 200 m. Flowers and fruits were observed from October to May.

Notes —Collections of Lycianthes leptocaulis and L. stenoloba are often misidentified in Brazilian herbaria, probably because they share the very remarkable feature of elongated calyx appendages and appear very similar in dry material. Lycianthes leptocaulis can be distinguished, however, by having elliptic leaves, acute or acuminate at the apex, corollas rotate with interpetalar tissue, and green appendages on the fruiting calyx, while L. stenoloba has obovate leaves, cuspidate at the apex, corollas stellate, and purple appendages on the fruiting calyx.

Solanum compressibaccatum was proposed by Bitter (1913) and, according to the description in the protologue, it is a climbing plant with geminate lanceolate leaves acuminate at the apex, calyx with unequal linear appendages, corollas white and infundibuliform, five unequal stamens, and globose berries. It was transferred by Bitter (1919) to Lycianthes , being described as L. acutangula Bitter subsp. compressibaccata Bitter.

Lycianthes acutangula ssp. compressibaccata was considered by Hokche (2008) to be a synonym of L. stenoloba (Van Heurck & M ull €. Arg.) Bitter, although we do not agree with that proposal. Our analyses of type specimens clearly revealed they belong to two distinct species, whose morphological characters of the leaves and flowers are distinctive enough to separate them; the white, rotate corolla with interpetalar tissue in Lycianthes acutangula ssp. compressibaccata is completely different than L. stenoloba , which has a stellate and clearly lobed corolla without interpetalar tissue.

Representative Specimens Examined — Brazil. — ACRE: Acrel^andia, 6 Oct 2003, Acevedo -Rodriguez, 13733 (RB), 09–15 Nov 2006, Obermuller 94 (RB) ; Assis Brasil , 18 Dec 2016, Costa 1041 (RB) ; Capichaba , s.d., Acevedo - Rdgz 13623 (RB) ; Rio Branco, Estrada Rio Branco-Brasileia , 03 Oct 1980, Lowrie 363 (MG) ; Sena Madureira, Fazenda Nova Olinda , 21 Oct 1993, Silveira 589 (INPA) ; Xapuri , 14 Nov 2009, Medeiros 266 (RB) ; same locality, 02 Nov 2011, Medeiros 861 (RB) . — RONDÔNIA: Ariquemes , 10 May 1982, Teixeira 259 (MG) ; idem, 11 May 1982, Teixeira 358 (RB) ; idem, 25 Apr 1987, Nee 35039 (INPA) ; same locality, Mineraç ~ ao Campo Novo , 25 Apr 1987, Nee

35039 (RB); same locality, Massangana, Mineraç ~ ao Taboca, 10 Oct 1979, Zarucehi 2661 (INPA, MG, RB); same locality, 09 Oct 1979, Vieira 334 (INPA, RB); Municipality of Costa Marques, 10 Nov 1996, Lobato 1252 (MG); same locality, Mineraç ~ ao Campo Novo, 22 Apr 1987, Nee 34966 (INPA); same locality, 14 Oct 1979, Vieira 447 (INPA, MG, MO); Porto Velho, Estrada Porto Velho- Cuiaba, 12 Feb 1983, Teixeira 1444 (MG); same locality, 25 Oct 1997, Lobato 2219 (MG); S ~ ao Lourenço, 27 Nov 1968, Prance 8924 (INPA, NY, US).

Additional Specimens Examined — Peru. —Depto. Huanuco, Maquipaza, Schunke 1077 (G, MO, SP, US).

Figures

FIG. 4. Lycianthes leptocaulis (Rusby) Rusby (Vieira 447). A. Flowering and fruiting branch. B. Detail of the leaf blade. C. Detail of a simple eglandular trichome. D. Detail of isolated flowers. E. Detail of the androecium and gynoecium. F. Detail of an isolated fruit.

FIG. 11. Map of the geographic distribution of Lycianthes leptocaulis, L. pauciflora, L. rantonnetii, and L. stenoloba, based on herbarium specimen data.