Solanum septemlobum Bunge, 1833

Knapp, Sandra, 2013, A revision of the Dulcamaroid Clade of Solanum L. (Solanaceae), PhytoKeys 22, pp. 1-432 : 240-243

36. Solanum septemlobum Bunge , Enum. Pl. Chin. Bor. 48. 1833 Figure 89

Solanum quercifolium L., Sp. Pl. 185. 1753. nom. rej. Type: Sweden: Cultivated in Uppsala, said to be from Peru, Anon. (lectotype, designated by Knapp and Jarvis 1990, pg. 355: LINN [LINN 248.8]).

Solanum septemlobum Bunge var. ovoideocarpum C.Y.Wu & S.C.Huang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 16(2): 72. 1978. Type: China. Hebei: Beijing, Shen-E Liu 2087a (holotype: PE [PE00031394]).

Solanum septemlobum Bunge var. subintegrifolium C.Y.Wu & S.C.Huang, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 16(2): 73. 1978. Type: China. Gansu: Xifeng, Zuobin Wang 17568 (holotype: PE [PE00031393]).

Type.

China. "China borealis", Jun-Jul 1831, A.A. Bunge s.n. (lectotype, designated here: P [P00055357]; isolectotypes: G [G00357887], P [P00055358]).

Description.

Woody vine or lax shrub, to several meters long. Stems slightly winged, sparsely to densely pubescent with white, curved, simple uniseriate trichomes to 0.5 mm long, these appressed and all pointing apically, with 4-6 small cells; new growth densely white pubescent with simple uniseriate curved trichomes to 0.5 mm long. Bark of older stems pale brown, glabrescent. Sympodial units plurifoliate. Leaves simple or more commonly variously pinnatifid and lobed, extremely variable in shape and size, (1-)2-9(-10) cm long, (0.9-)1.2-5 (-8) cm wide, ovate in outline, widest in the basal third of the blade, the upper and lower surfaces sparsely to moderately pubescent with simple uniseriate trichomes to 1 mm long like those of the stems, all pointing to the margins (away from the axis); base truncate, then attenuate onto the petiole; margins entire to deeply lobed with 1-4 pairs of lobes to within 1 mm of the midrib, the lobbing irregular towards the leaf apex; apex acute, rounded or if acuminate, the ultimate tip rounded; petiole 0.5-3 cm long, sparsely to densely pubescent like the stems. Inflorescences terminal or lateral, 2.5-16 cm long, open and many times branched, with 10-40 flowers, sparsely pubescent with simple white trichomes like those of the stems, these curved and pointing towards the tip of the inflorescence; peduncle 1-5 cm long; pedicels 7-10 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm in diameter at the base, ca. 1 mm in diameter at the apex, slender, spreading, glabrous, articulated at the base, leaving a small peg to 1 mm long on the inflorescence axis; pedicel scars irregularly spaced 1-10 m apart, closer towards the distal part of the inflorescence. Buds ellipsoid, the corolla strongly exserted from the calyx tube before anthesis. Flowers all perfect, 5-merous. Calyx tube 1-1.5 mm long, conical, the lobes 0.5-1.5 mm long, broadly deltate, the margins usually thickened and white in dry material, glabrous or with a few white, uniseriate curved trichomes. Corolla ca. 2 cm in diameter, violet with a green eye, this whitish green or brown in dry material, stellate to broadly stellate, lobed 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the base, the lobes 4-6 mm long, 1.5-4 mm wide, reflexed to spreading at anthesis, glabrous, minutely papillate on the tips. Filament tube ca. 0.5 mm long, the free portion of the filaments ca. 1 mm long, glabrous or pubescent with a few weak uniseriate simple trichomes in the sinuses; anthers 3-4 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, loosely connivent, ellipsoid, poricidal at the tips, the pores lengthening to slits with age. Ovary glabrous; style 4.5-7.5 mm long, glabrous; stigma capitate, minutely papillate, green or white in living material. Fruit a globose or slightly ovate berry, 0.8-1 cm wide, 1-1.2 cm long, bright red when ripe, the pericarp thin and shiny, glabrous; fruiting pedicels 0.8-1.3 cm long, ca. 1 mm in diameter, not particularly woody, spreading. Seeds> 20 per berry, ca. 3 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, flattened reniform, pale yellowish tan or yellow, the surfaces minutely pitted, the mature seeds appearing pubescent with the elongate lateral cell walls ca. 0.2 mm long, the pitted bases still visible. Chromosome number: not known.

Distribution

( Figure 90 ). Solanum septemlobum is a boreal species in China, from sea level to 1200 m; it perhaps extends to adjacent Mongolia but all specimens seen so far are from the Chinese Autonomous Region of Nei Mongol, previously known as "Inner Mongolia". Its southerly distribution overlaps with Solanum pittosporifolium , from which it is sometimes difficult to distinguish.

Ecology.

Growing in open areas and secondary forests.

Common names.

China: qing qie ( Zhang et al. 1994).

Conservation status.

Least Concern (LC); EOO>100,000 km2 (LC) and AOO>10,000 km2 (LC). See Moat (2007) for explanation of measurements.

Discussion.

Solanum septemlobum usually has seven-parted leaves (as the name implies), but as is common in this clade, leaf division varies from simple to seven-parted. It is not clear from herbarium specimens if these differences in leaf division have an environmental basis, but from field observations on the related Solanum dulcamara , their regulation is likely to be complex. Solanum septemlobum can be difficult to distinguish from its sympatric close relatives, Solanum pittosporifolium and Solanum lyratum , but the flowers are in general larger, and pubescence of stems and leaves is of stiff, curving white trichomes, not long glandular trichomes like those of Solanum lyratum . Solanum pittosporifolium occasionally has a few white trichomes on new stems and leaves, but they are usually very sparse and not as stiff, long or curved as those of Solanum septemlobum .

Solanum septemlobum is a more northerly species than either Solanum lyratum or Solanum pittosporifolium , and almost abuts the range of Solanum dulcamara in Mongolia and northern Russia.

Bunge’s original herbarium and types are said to be either at LE or P (ex. herb. Cosson); the sheet in P clearly annotated in Bunge’s hand as " Solanum septemlobum mihi" from Bunge’s personal herbarium is here chosen as the lectotype. No duplicates of this sheet have been located in LE, so this P sheet is the logical lectotype. The additional sheet of this collection in P [P00055358] is also apparently from Bunge’s personal herbarium, and is annotated by Bunge, but appears to be a duplicate (it is a much smaller specimen and appears to have been broken off from the other sheet) given to Decaisne. The original publication of the name Solanum septemlobum is in 1833 (not in 1835 as stated in some indices), in a preprint from Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.- Pétersbourg Divers Savans 2:75-148 of 1835.

The specimen cited by Linnaeus in describing Solanum quercifolium was used by Knapp and Jarvis (1990) to lectotypify this name; they assumed it was a New World plant following Linneaus’ distribution and the annotation on the sheet. The late Bill D’Arcy later recognised that the specimen in question (LINN 248.8) was actually that commonly known as Solanum septemlobum , and the name Solanum quercifolium was rejected ( Turland et al. 1996). I have seen many sheets of Solanum septemlobum labelled as Solanum quercifolium in European herbaria from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, this species was clearly in cultivation in botanic gardens at that time, but was later lost in cultivation; there are almost no specimens dating from the mid-19th century to present from European botanic garden collections nor have I seen the species in cultivation in Europe.

Specimens examined.

China. Anhui: Sanyang, She county, 400 m, 2 Jul 1995, Dong 0621 (MO); Beijing: Beijing, Sep 1917, Andersson 56 (S); mountain west of Peking, 1881, Bretschneider 1927 (BM); near Peking, province of Shan-Teng, May 1907, Meyer 392 (GH, US); on city wall, (Peking) (Chi-li), 5 Jul 1913, Meyer 1009 (GH, K, US); [Beijing], Aug 1863, Williams 1341 (BM); Gansu: Lanzhou City, Xianding, W of Tianmu Mt, 28 Sep 1963, Hangzhou Bot. Gard. Herb. 29999 (MO); Wenshien, 910 m, 15 Jun 1930, Hao, K.S., 418 (S); Minchow, 26 Jun 1930, Hao 531 (S); Lanzhou City, Baita Mt., 1 Jun 1993, Li 93-0033 b (MO); Kansou [Gansu], N.E, 18 Jun 1920, Licent 6045 (K); Guangxi: Xing’an, Maoer Mt., Xingan, 1200 m, 26 Jul 1997, Li 15191 (MO); Hebei: Hsin-Chi, Sulu Hsien, Hsin Chi, 20 Jun 1948, Beach 27 (G, K, MO, US); Xiaowutai Mountain, 1935, Liu 10798 (MO); Xiaowutai Mountain, 13 Aug 1935, Liu 10889 (MO); Xiaowutai Mountain, 18 May 1935, Liu 11112 (MO); Linchengfeng village, SW Hebei province, 200 m, 14 Jun 1950, Liu 12777 (MO); on the road from Linchengfeng village to Neiqiu, SE Hebei province, 200 m, 16 Jun 1950, Liu 12800 (MO); Xiaolingdi village, Neiqiu County, 1200 m, 8 Aug 1950, Liu 13286 (MO); Henan: Sin. loc., 360 m, 1958, Anonymous 346 (HIB); Teng-feng, Saho lin ssu im Kreise Teng fong, 670 m, Aug 1907, Schindler 168 (G, K, L, S); Teng-feng, Shao lin ssu im Kreise Teng fong, 670 m, Aug 1907, Schindler 670 (BM); Tangbai County, Taibaiding, Tongbai Mt., 1 Aug 1985, South Team, T 0265 (MO); Xin County, 600 m, 23 Aug 1989, South Team, D 1046 (MO); Jigongshan, Jigong Mt, 700 m, 28 Jun 1963, Zheng 209 (MO); Hubei: Xingshan, Mengyuan, 800 m, 22 Jul 1956, Li 3 (MO); Hsiaowutai Shan, Jul 1934, Wang 62342 (A); Shiyan, Shiyan City, 850 m, 8 Nov 1994, Zhao 5429 (MO); Jiangsu: beside Dufeng Temple, Jiangpu District, Nanjing, 28 Jul 1958, Jiangpu Team 8292 (MO); Jilin: Ching Lung Chiao, near Great Wall, 20 Sep 1930, Dorsett & Morse 7235 (US); Kirin [Jilin], Kirin to Tsitsihar Manchuria, 1887, James s.n. (K); Kirin, Tch’ang tch’ounn, Manchuria, 4 Sep 1928, Licent 8611 (BM, K); Nei Mongol: Basasekulle n. om Katolska missionem, 12 Jul 1919, Andersson 337 a (S); Gongruk, 27 Jul 1924, Eriksson 6 (S); at Congrek west of Dojen [Dojen = Swedish Missionary Station in Inner Mongolia, Dongsheng?], 27 Jul 1924, Eriksson 6 (US); Mantalte Sume, 10 li to E, 18 Jul 1935, Eriksson 1087 (S); Beli-Miao, 10 li [measure of distance] W, 30 Jun 1936, Eriksson 1146 (S); Mongolia, Ordos, Ikenwusu, 4 Aug 1933, Hsia 3740 (K); Kwei Hua, outskirts, 20 Aug 1938, Martin & Soderbom s.n. (A); Dun-tai-pin Shan, Chahar province, 29 Jul 1934, Kozlov 232 (US); Chahar, Mvolte ama, Darkhan Beile, 1 Jul 1935, Roerich Expedition 325 (US); Naran Obo, east of Naran Obo, 20 Jul 1935, Roerich Expedition 402 (US); Madenii Amon, Chahar province, 10 Aug 1935, Roerich Expedition 766 (US); Madenii Amon, Chahar province, 10 Aug 1935, Roerich Expedition 779 (US); Naran Obo, Inner Mongolia, Chahar province, 16 Jul 1935, Roerich Expedition 385 (GH, US); Wanziagou, 26 Jun 1997, Wu 97-73 (MO); Taipingzhai, Liangcheng, 25 Sep 1998, Wu 98-164 (MO); Tuo county, 26 Jun 1997, Wu 97-75 (MO); Ningxia: Ho Lan Shan mountains, the mouth of Sis Ye Ku, 1375 m, 10 May 1923, Ching 172 (GH, US); Ho Lan Shan mountains, Mingshia, 1750 m, 20 Aug 1923, Ching 1104 (GH, US); Ala Mountains, Ning-Hsia, 1500 m, 27 Aug 1933, Pai 115 (K); Qinghai: Ta’er Temple, Huangzhong, 2800 m, 2 Sep 1980, Wang 978 (MO); Shaanxi: Tungkwan, 29 Jul 1932, Hao 3804 (K); Wen Shui, W. Lungchuan Tsun, 6 Jul 1925, Kang 26 (GH); Sjara osso gol, 10 Aug 1922, Licent 686 (BM, K); Taipeishan, 1910, Purdom s.n. (K); Hongshiya, Huanglong county, 900 m, 21 Jun 1985, Yang 6317 (MO); Shandong: Meng Shan, Fei Hsien, 450 m, 24 Jul 1936, Cheo & Yen 163 (BM, G, GH); Lung Shan, 90 li from Tsinanfu, 200 m, 18 Sep 1930, Chiao 3129 (GH, K, US); Shanxi: Taiyüan-fu, northern direction 40 li from the city, 12 Jun 1919, Andersson 627a (S); Tsai yan sban, Makiapou, 21 Jul 1914, Licent 359 (BM, K); Taiyüan-fu, Jun 1902, Nyström s.n. (S); Shuiiu, Yunsheng [label in Swedish is “Shuiio”], 1923, Otterdahl s.n. (S); Shueiyu, Shansi australis, 701 m, 15 Aug 1925, Sandberg 173 (S); Yunching, Shansi australis, 213 m, 30 Aug 1925, Sandberg 184 (S); close to Ningwu County, 14 May 1957, Shanxi Team 1627 (MO); Taiyüan-fu, 800 m, 24 May 1928, Smith 5580 (S); Ye-cho-shan, 1500 m, 18 Jul 1924, Smith 6456 (MO x2); Chiao-chieng distr., Pa-shui-ko, 1800 m, 4 Sep 1924, Smith 7514 (MO); near Sihsien, 11 Sep 1935, Wang 3599 (K); Sichuan: Derong, Anonymous s.n. (HITBC); Batang, Qingzhang Team 5189 (HITBC); Tibet: Eastern Tibet, Ba Valley [may be in Sichuan], 3018 m, Jun 1926, Rock 14273 (GH, K, S); Ta Tsien Lou, Thibet oriental, (principaute de Kiala), 1893, Soulié 872 (G, K); Xinjiang: Hami, Turkestaniae, May 1881, Mesny 10511 (BM); Yunnan: Deqen, Qingzhang Team 2586 (HITBC); Zhejiang: Sin. loc., Barchet s.n. (MO).

Figures

Figure 89. Solanum septumlobum Bunge. (A, E-G drawn from Smith 7514 B drawn from Smith 6456 C drawn from Shanxi Team 1627 D [leaf variation] from Li 930033 b in addition to those cited). Illustration by Bobbi Angell.

Figure 90. Distribution of Solanum septumlobum Bunge.