Lycianthes pauciflora, (Vahl) Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine

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 : 662-663

5. LYCIANTHES PAUCIFLORA (Vahl) Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 341. 1919. Solanum pauciflorum Vahl, Eclog. Amer. 1: 20. 1797. TYPE: MARTINIQUE, sine col., s.n. (holotype: C! barcode C10019191 [image!]).

Lycianthes neglecta (Dunal) Lourteig, Phytologia 62: 442. 1987. Solanum neglectum Dunal, Hist. Nat. Solanum 177. 1813. TYPE: GUYANAS (holotype: Fig. 4 , in Burm. Plant Amer. p. 242, Table 245, Fig. 4 . 1757). Synonymized by Bitter (1919).

Solanum sylvaticum Dunal, Solan. Syn. 24. 1816. TYPE: VENEZU- ELA. Estado de Sucre, Cumana, 1799–1880, A. Humboldt & A. Bonpland 71 (lectotype designated here: P! barcode P00430757 [image!]; isolectotype: P! barcode P00670632 [image!]). Synonymized by Hokche (2008) .

Lycianthes guianensis (Dunal) Bitter , Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 347. 1919. Solanum guianense Dunal, Prodr. 13(1): 166. 1852. TYPE: FRENCH GUIANA. Cayena, J. Aublet s.n. (Holotype: G-DC! 152325/1 barcode G-DC00145624 [image!], F Field Museum negative 6768 [photo!]; isotype: P! P00385034 [image!]). Synonymized by Bohs (2015) .

Lycianthes japurensis (Dunal) Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 350. 1919. Solanum japurense Dunal, Prodr. 13(1): 174. 1852. TYPE: BRAZIL. State of Amazonas, Rio Negro, Japura, C. Martius s.n. (holotype: M! barcode M0171858 [image!]). Synonymized by Benıtez de Rojas & D’ Arcy (1997).

Solanum luxurians C.V. Morton, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 29: 66. 1944. Lycianthes pearcei Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 355. 1919. TYPE: BOLIVIA. Corico [likely Depto. La Paz, Prov. Nor Yungas, Coroico], 700–900 m, Jan 1866, M. R. Pearce s.n. (holotype: BM BM000815942 [image!]). Synonymized by Nee (2014).

Lycianthes geminata (Vahl) Bitter, Abh. Naturwiss. Vereine Bremen 24: 392. 1919. Solanum geminatum Vahl, Eclog. Amer. 1: 21. 1797. TYPE: FRENCH GUIANA. Cayenne, J. von Rohr s.n. (holotype: C! C10019190; isotype: BM 601927 -S [image!]). Synonymized by Hokche (2008)

Lycianthes hispida (Rusby) Rusby, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 53: 210. 1926. Brachistus hispidus Rusby, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 53: 198. 1899. TYPE: BOLIVIA. Depto. La Paz, Prov. Iturralde, Guanay, May 1886, 2000 ft, H. Rusby 2524 (holotype: NY 00138556!). Synonymized by Nee (2014).

Lycianthes speciosa (Dunal) Lourteig, Phytologia 62: 442. 1987. Solanum speciosum Dunal, Hist. Nat. Solanum : 179. 1813. TYPE: WEST INDIES, in insula Caribais. (holotype: Fig. 5 , in Burm. Plant Amer. p. 242, Table 245, Fig. 5 . 1757). Synonymized by Bitter (1919).

Lycianthes tomentella Rusby, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 53: 211. 1926. TYPE: BOLIVIA. Department La Paz, Yungas, M. Bang 630 (lectotype designated here: NY barcode NY00138718 [image!]; isolectotypes NY barcode NY00138717 [image!], E barcode E00190708 [image!], GH 77122 [image!], PH barcode 16315 [image!], US 1324774 barcode 27897 [image!], US 98923 barcode US 0001102013 [image!]). Synonymized by Nee (2014).

Lycianthes pyrifolia Rusby, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 53: 212. 1926. TYPE: BOLIVIA. Department Cochabamba, near Cochabamba, Espırito Santo, 750 m, Jun 1909, O. Buchtien 2816 (holotype: NY barcode NY00138713 [image!]). Synonymized by Nee (2014).

Scandent shrubs, l.0–5.0 m tall, branched, perennial; stems and branches terete, brown, striate, indument stellate-puberulous, yellowish to ferruginous, trichomes stellate, sessile and short stalked, 3–6 lateral rays, and trichomes simple, eglandular, multicellular, uniseriate, hyaline. Sympodial units unifoliate. Leaves solitary; petiole 1.0– 2.5 cm long, terete, pubescent to tomentose, ferruginous, trichomes stellate similar to the branches; lamina chartaceous, 5.0–12.0 3 3.5–5.0 cm, weakly discolorous, ovate to broadly elliptic, adaxial surface somewhat shiny, sparsely stellate pubescent, the trichomes mainly on the midrib, abaxial surface velutinous to tomentose, trichomes stellate, stalked, the stalk 2–3-celled, apex acute, acuminate or obtuse, margin entire, base cuneate, rounded. Inflorescences 2–5-flowered; pedicel 1.5–2.5 cm long, pendulous, and erect at maturity, terete, stellate-pubescent to tomentose, yellowish to ferruginous, trichomes stellate-stalked. Calyx campanulate, sinuate at the apex, tube 4.0– 4.8 mm long, appendages 10, emerging at 1.4 to 1.6 mm below the tube edges, slightly unequal, 1.5–1.7 mm long, glabrescent, trichomes similar to the pedicel. Corolla rotate, white, 1.3–3.5 cm diam, lobes lanceolate, 1.2–1.3 cm, pilose on the outer surface, interpetalar tissue well-developed, 0.9–1.0 cm; filaments unequal (1 1 4), the largest filaments 5.8–6.0 mm long, 4 shorter filaments, 1.0– 1.2 mm long; anthers yellow, attenuate from the base to the apex, 5.0– 5.3 mm long, sagittate to sub-sagittate at the base; ovary globose, 2.2–2.5 mm diam; style glabrous 1.0– 1.1 cm length, straight, slightly curved to the apex, stigma slightly bilobed, 0.8–1.0 mm long, bright green. Fruit globose, upright, 1.5–2.5 cm in diameter, glabrous, green when young, red when ripe. Fruiting calyx accrescent and detached from the fruit, appendages reflexed, slightly unequal, 0.5–1.0 cm long, stellate-pubescent. Seeds numerous, 2.6–3.6 3 2.8–3.3 mm, obovoid, compressed, testa reticulate, beige. Figure 7F–I .

Distribution, Habitat, and Phenology — Lycianthes pauciflora is widely distributed from Central to South America, occurring from Guatemala to Argentina ( Fig. 11 ). In Brazil it occurs in the Amazon and Atlantic forests, as well as in the Pantanal wetlands in Mato Grosso do Sul State. There are no records of its occurrence in the driest regions of Brazil, such as Cerrado and Caatinga. This species prefers humid environments, but it can be found in altitudinal forests in the otherwise dry northeastern region, at elevations of 800 to 1050 m. Flowers were collected from May to December, and fruits from July to February.

Notes — Lycianthes pauciflora can be recognized by its scandent habit, indument composed of stellate trichomes, globose ovary, and calyx patelliform in the fruit with appendages of slightly unequal lengths that usually emerge below the calyx edge. It has a wide range of distribution, and its vegetative characters can vary according to the environment, generating different morphotypes and resulting in diverse misidentifications in herbarium specimens. The set of characters mentioned above were present in all of the specimens examined, and also in the type of S. pauciflorum Vahl.

Collections of Lycianthes pauciflora are often misidentified as L. cearaensis or L. glandulosa in Brazilian herbaria, although there is a set of characters that can identify and separate these species: Lycianthes pauciflora has inflorescences mostly with 3–5 flowers (vs. 5–8 flowers in L. glandulosa and 1–2 flowers in L. cearaensis ), calyx lobes slightly cuspidate, appendages 2- seriate, emerging 1.4 to 1.6 mm below the calyx edge, and reflexed in the fruit (vs. calyx lobes truncate, appendages 3- seriate, shorter and broader, emerging approximately 0.5 to 1.0 mm below the calyx edge, slightly curved at the apex on the fruits of L. glandulosa , and linear, 2-seriate, emerging at 1.2–1.3 mm below the calyx edge, curved at the apex on the fruits of L. cearaensis ) and a globose ovary (vs. subglobose in L. glandulosa and ovoid in L. cearaensis ).

Solanum sylvaticum was described by Dunal (1816) based on the A. Humboldt and A. Bonpland 71 collection from Venezuela. Although that author had mentioned the material from a collection at the Humboldt and Bonpland Herbarium, two specimens were found in Paris from the aforementioned collection, highlighting the need to designate a lectotype. We therefore chose the more complete specimen at the Paris Herbarium, barcode P00430757.

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. 5. Lycianthes stenoloba (van Heurck & Arg. M€ ull.) Bitter (Michelangeli 1286). A. Flowering branch. B. Abaxial surface with simple trichomes. C. Simple eglandular trichome. D. Isolated flower. E. Detail of an isolated fruit.

FIG. 7. A–E. Lycianthes cearaensis Bitter (Sampaio 60). A. Branch and leaves. B. Stellate trichome. C. Flower bud. D. Calyx and detail of the ovary. E. Fruit. F–I. Lycianthes pauciflora (Vahl) Bitter. F. Branch and leaves. G. Calyx. H. Calyx and detail of the ovary. I. Fruit. J–M. Lycianthes bitteri Costa-Silva & Agra. J. Dendritic trichome. K. Flower bud. L. Gynoecium. M. Fruit.

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