Solanum moxosense, M. Nee

Wahlert, Gregory A., Chiarini, Franco E. & Bohs, Lynn, 2015, A Revision of Solanum Section Lathyrocarpum (the Carolinense Clade, Solanaceae), Systematic Botany 40 (3), pp. 853-887 : 880-881

8. SOLANUM MOXOSENSE M. Nee,

Brittonia 58: 339. 2006.—

TYPE: BOLIVIA. Beni: Prov. Cercado, Trinidad , 14°50′S, 64°55′W, 200 m, 6 Jan 1989 (fl), M. H. Nee 37519 (holotype: LPB; isotypes: G–G00020289 [2 sheets]!, MO, NY–NY00745813 !, NY–NY00745839 !, USZ–26728 [scan!], USZ [scan!]).

Creeping to erect herb up to 0.2 m tall, usually rooting at the nodes. Stems glabrous or very sparsely pubescent with simple (1)2–4-celled hairs up to 2 mm long, sparsely armed with straight or slightly curved tapered prickles up to 3.5 mm long. Sympodial units 2- to 3-foliate, sometimes plurifoliate, the leaves not geminate. Leaves simple, the blades 5–7.5 × 3.5–6 cm, ovate in outline, very sparsely pubescent abaxially with sessile stellate hairs 0.7–1 mm in diameter, with 4(5) lateral rays, the central ray absent or 1-celled and up to 0.5 mm long, glabrous adaxially, sparsely armed with prickles up to 5 mm long on the major veins abaxially and adaxially; base truncate to cordate, equal to very unequal, often with one side offset up to 1 cm from the other; margin repand to shallowly lobed with 3–4 rounded to obtuse lobes per side; apex obtuse to subacute; petioles 0.7–3 cm long, sparsely pubescent with simple and stellate hairs like those of the stems, sparsely armed with prickles up to 5 mm long. Inflorescence 5–6 cm long, extra-axillary or subopposite the leaves, unbranched, with 4–5 flowers, probably andromonecious with the proximal one or two flowers hermaphroditic, the axes nearly glabrous to sparsely pubescent with simple and stellate hairs, sparsely armed with prickles up to 2 mm long; peduncle 3–4.5 cm long; pedicels 0.9–1.1 cm long in flower, glabrous or sparsely pubescent with simple hairs, unarmed, up to 1.5 cm long and somewhat thickened and curved downward in fruit, spaced 7–14 mm apart, articulated at the base. Calyx 3–7 mm long, the tube 1.5–3 mm long, the lobes 1.5–4 × 1–1.5 mm, oblong-ovate, the apex acuminate, very sparsely pubescent with simple and stellate hairs, the stellae with the central ray longer than the lateral rays, unarmed; fruiting calyx somewhat accrescent but not completely covering the fruit, ca. 5–8 mm long, the tube ca. 1.5–2 mm long, the lobes ca. 2–6.5 × 2–4.5 mm. Corollas 1.3–2 cm in diameter, 7–12 mm long, stellate to stellate-pentagonal, chartaceous, white, the tube ca. 6 mm long, the lobes ca. 6.5 × 3.5 mm, triangular, the apex acute, moderately to densely pubescent abaxially with sessile stellate hairs, glabrous adaxially. Stamens with filaments 1.5–2 mm long, glabrous; anthers 4–5 × 0.6–1 mm, linear-tapered, not connivent, yellow, the pores directed distally. Ovary ca. 0.7 × 0.7 mm, glabrous; style ca. 8 × 0.5 mm, cylindrical, straight, glabrous, exserted; stigma capitate. Fruits (immature) ca. 1 × 0.8 cm, oblongovoid, the apex rounded, the color when ripe unknown, glabrous. Seeds unknown.

Distribution and Habitat — Solanum moxosense is only known from the area near the town of Trinidad in the Department of Beni, Bolivia ( Fig. 8 ). It has a weedy habit and grows in disturbed and grazed areas at elevations from 150– 200 m.

Phenology — The few known specimens of Solanum moxosense have been collected in flower in August and January and with immature fruit in February.

Conservation Status — Solanum moxosense is known from five collections, three of which have geographical coordinates. All were made in or very near the town of Trinidad, and none are from protected areas. Thus, all of the material known for the species likely represents a single location and population with a highly restricted extent of occurrence of 4.5 km 2 and area of occupancy of 12 km 2. Solanum moxosense is assigned a preliminary conservation status of “critically endangered” [CR B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)].

Etymology — Solanum moxosense is named for the Llanos de Moxos, a seasonally flooded savanna in the Department of Beni in the northern part of Bolivia.

Vernacular Names — None recorded.

Chromosome Number — None recorded.

Notes — Solanum moxosense is similar to S. flagellare and S. reineckii in its unbranched inflorescences and decumbent, creeping habit, but differs by its stems that are glabrous to sparsely pubescent with simple (1)2–4-celled hairs compared to the sparsely to densely stellate-pubescent stems of S. flagellare and S. reineckii .

Additional Specimens Examined — BOLIVIA. Beni: Prov. Cercado, Trinidad, 200 m, Aug 1944 (fl), M. Cárdenas 3525 ( MO, US-n.v.); Trinidad, 14°50.159′S, 64°54.034′W, 197 m, 9 May 2007, D. McClelland & S. Stern 408 (NY-n.v., USZ-n.v.); Puerto Almacén, 9.3 km SW of center of Trinidad, main road to Baradora, ca. 100 m E of bridge over Río Ibare, 14°52.065′S, 64°58.130′W, 10 May 2007, D. McClelland & S. Stern 419 (NY-n.v., USZ-n.v.); Trinidad, 14°50′S, 64°55′W, 150 m, 25 Feb 1987 (fl, fr), M. H. Nee 34261 ( MO, NY).

Figures

FIG. 8. Distribution of Solanum flagellare, S. moxosense, and S. reineckii.