Solanum sinuatirecurvum Bitter, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 241. 1912.

Knapp, Sandra, Saerkinen, Tiina & Barboza, Gloria E., 2023, A revision of the South American species of the Morelloid clade (Solanum L., Solanaceae), PhytoKeys 231, pp. 1-342 : 1

54. Solanum sinuatirecurvum Bitter, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 241. 1912.

Figs 163 , 164

Solanum pulchellum Phil., Anales Univ. Chile 523. 1873., nom. illeg., non Solanum pulchellum F.Muell. (1855). Type. Chile. Región II (Antofagasta): Salitreras de Antofagasta en el desierto de Atacama, G. Döll s.n. (lectotype, designated by Barboza et al. 2013, pg. 259: SGO [SGO000004589, acc. # 042726]; isolectotypes: K [K000005316], SI [003353]).

Solanum sinuatirecurvum Bitter subsp. crispatellum Bitter, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 242. 1912. Type. Argentina. Sin. loc., R. Hauthal 58 (holotype: B, destroyed [F neg. 2790]; lectotype, designated by Barboza et al. 2013, pg. 259: F [v0073407F, acc. # 621148 fragment of B holotype]).

Solanum metarsium C.V.Morton, Revis. Argentine Sp. Solanum 72. 1976. Type. Based on (replacement name for) Solanum pulchellum Phil.

Type.

Bolivia. [Oruro]: Puna Patanca , 6 Jan 1904, K. Fiebrig 2471 (holotype: B [destroyed, F. neg. 2722]; lectotype, designated by Barboza et al. 2103, pg. 259: F [v0073406F, acc. # 621223, fragment of B holotype]) .

Description.

Perennial herbs from deep woody rhizomes or tap roots (to 15 cm below soil surface), 0.05-0.2 m high, the branches spreading, woody at the base. Stems angled and winged from the decurrent leaf bases, moderately to densely pubescent with tangled white eglandular 5-10-celled simple uniseriate trichomes 1-1.5 mm long, these occasionally gland-tipped, occasionally very small sessile glands also present on stems; new growth densely pubescent with tangled white eglandular 5-10-celled simple uniseriate trichomes 1-1.5 mm long, these occasionally gland-tipped, occasionally a dense covering of very small sessile glands also present; bark of older stems greenish white. Sympodial units plurifoliate, the leaves not geminate. Leaves simple, shallowly lobed to pinnatifid, the blades 0.6-3.5(5) cm long, 0.2-1.5(2) cm long, narrowly elliptic in outline, widest at the middle, thick and coriaceous or somewhat fleshy, concolorous, variable in size between populations; adaxial and abaxial surfaces sparsely to densely pubescent with tangled white eglandular 5-10-celled simple uniseriate trichomes 1-1.5 mm long like those of the stems; principal veins usually not visible in small-leaved plants, if visible then 3-4 pairs corresponding to the number of leaf lobes; base attenuate onto the petiole and the leaves sessile; margins irregularly moderately to deeply lobed or erose, the lobes 1-2(-4) pairs, 0.5-2.5 mm long with acute to rounded or blunt tips, always oriented pointed to leaf apex, the sinuses reaching ca. 1/3-1/2 of the way to the midrib, strongly revolute between the lobes; apex acute to rounded; petioles absent, the leaves sessile. Inflorescences terminal, unbranched, 0.5-2 cm long, with 2-5 flowers clustered at the tips, sparsely to moderately pubescent with tangled white eglandular simple uniseriate trichomes 1-1.5 mm long like those of the stems; peduncle 0.5-1.9 cm long; pedicels 1.5-2 cm long, ca. 0.5 mm in diameter at the base, ca. 1.5 mm in diameter at the apex, filiform, spreading at anthesis, articulated at the base, often dark purple or at least darker than the leaves; pedicel scars irregularly spaced 0-5 mm apart, sometimes overlapping. Buds ellipsoid, ca. halfway exserted from the calyx before anthesis. Flowers 5-merous, cosexual (hermaphroditic). Calyx tube 1.5-2 mm long, conical to deeply cup-shaped, the lobes 3-3.5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, triangular with sharply pointed tips, the margins sometimes shallowly lobed, thick and leathery, sparsely pubescent with tangled white eglandular simple uniseriate trichomes 1-1.5 mm long like those of the rest of the inflorescence. Corolla 2-2.6 cm in diameter, deep purple with a greenish brown central star that is shinier than the rest of the corolla, shallowly stellate, lobed 1/3 to halfway to the base, the lobes 5-7 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, broadly deltate, spreading to reflexed, glabrous adaxially, sparsely to densely pubescent along the midveins, tips and margins abaxially with eglandular, simple uniseriate trichomes ca. 0.5 mm long, the lobe tips cucullate early in anthesis, the corolla apparently expanding over the course of flowering. Stamens slightly unequal, 3 lower ones longer due to filament length difference; filament tube less than 0.5 mm long; free portion of the filaments 0.5-1.1 mm long, glabrous or with a few tangled weak simple uniseriate trichomes adaxially, the lower 3 longer than the upper 2; anthers 4-5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, ellipsoid, yellow, apparently unequal in size but this due to filament length difference, poricidal at the tips, the pores lengthening to slits with age. Ovary conical, glabrous; style ca. 9 mm long, slightly curved so it emerges from between the lower 3 anthers, exserted beyond the anther cone, papillate in the lower third within the anther cone; stigma capitate to clavate, bright green in live plants, the surface minutely papillate. Fruit a globose berry, 1-1.3 cm in diameter, bright yellow when mature, green to greenish purple when immature, the pericarp somewhat leathery, matte, opaque, glabrous; fruiting pedicels 2-2.5 cm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter at the base, ca. 2 mm in diameter at the apex, strongly deflexed and directing the berry towards the soil, the entire pedicel curving, somewhat woody at fruit maturity, persistent; fruiting calyx not accrescent, the lobes ca. 5 mm long, ca. 2.5 mm wide, becoming woody and brittle with fruit age. Seeds (5)10-20 per berry, 3-3.5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, flattened and teardrop shaped, pale yellowish tan to brown, the surfaces minutely pitted, the testal cells deeply sinuate in outline. Stone cells absent. Chromosome number: n = 12 ( Moyetta et al. 2013; voucher Barboza et al. 3551).

Distribution

(Fig. 165 ). Solanum sinuatirecurvum occurs in the high Andes from Bolivia (Depts. Oruro, Potosí) to northwestern Argentina (Provs. Catamarca, Jujuy, Salta) and adjacent Chile (Region II [Antofagasta]).

Ecology and habitat.

Solanum sinuatirecurvum is a species of open, very high elevation dry habitats above treeline (puna or high elevation deserts), usually growing in sandy or gravelly soils, often amongst grasses, from 3,000 to 5,000 m elevation.

Common names and uses.

Argentina. Catamarca: chuschalin (Hueck 504); Jujuy: ají (Claren 11369), porotillo (Cabezas 49); Salta: cora cora (Krapovickas 3192). Chile. Region II (Antofagasta): salvilla (Wickens et al. 11). No uses recorded.

Preliminary conservation status

( IUCN 2022). Least Concern [LC]. EOO = 231,683 km2 [LC]; AOO = 344 km2 [EN]. Solanum sinuatirecurvum occurs in large populations and is widely distributed in high elevation habitats. It is found in protected areas in Argentina (e.g., Quebrada de Humahuaca World Heritage site, although there are conservation concerns around that site, https://whc.unesco.org/en/soc/4176/).

Discussion.

Solanum sinuatirecurvum is a member of the small Episarcophyllum clade along with S. echegarayi and S. riojense ( Särkinen et al. 2015b) The clade consists of perennial herbs with woody underground rhizomes and slightly thick and fleshy leaves that appear succulent when compared to membranous species of the Morelloid clade. All species of the Episarcophyllum clade are distributed in dry habitats in Argentina and neighbouring Chile, generally above 2,000 m elevation.

Solanum sinuatirecurvum is similar to S. riojense in the floccose pubescence of new growth, but differs in its large yellow berries (always over 1 cm in diameter; Fig. 165D ) and flowers (2-2.6 cm in diameter with acute calyx lobe tips versus 1.8-2 cm in diameter with rounded calyx lobe tips in S. riojense ). Leaves of S. sinuatirecurvum are usually smaller and more deeply dissected than those of S. riojense but considerable variation exists.

Figures

Figure 163. Solanum sinuatirecurvum A habit B leaf, abaxial surface C leaf, adaxial surface D, E flowers F fruit (A-F voucher details missing). Illustration by M. T. Cabrera. Previously published in Barboza et al. (2013: 259).

Figure 164. Solanum sinuatirecurvum A habit B underground rhizome C leaf indumentum (top surface) D maturing fruits (A, C, D Barboza et al. 3557 B Barboza et al. 3551). Photos by S. Knapp.

Figure 165. Distribution map of Solanum sinuatirecurvum.