Solanum wrightii Benth., Fl. Hongk. 243. 1861.

Aubriot, Xavier & Knapp, Sandra, 2022, A revision of the " spiny solanums " of Tropical Asia (Solanum, the Leptostemonum Clade, Solanaceae), PhytoKeys 198, pp. 1-270 : 1

51. Solanum wrightii Benth., Fl. Hongk. 243. 1861.

Fig. 73F-H

Type.

China. “Hongkong”, 1853-1856, C. Wright 489 (lectotype, designated here: K [K000545757]; isotypes: GH [00077826], US [acc. # 79466, barcode 00731429]).

Description.

Vorontsova and Knapp (2016: 372-375); http://www.solanaceaesource.org/solanaceae/solanum-wrightii.

Distribution.

Solanum wrightii has been recorded from several areas in tropical Asia in cultivation as a street tree; it is native to Bolivia but widely cultivated for ornament and as a shade tree in coffee plantations. Solanum wrightii has been formally assessed as of Least Concern (LC) for the IUCN Red List (Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group 2018).

Common names.

China. da hua qie ( Zhang et al. 1994).

Discussion.

Although first described from Hong Kong, S. wrightii is a plant of the eastern slopes of the Andes in Bolivia. It is a member of the Crinitum clade (sensu Stern et al. 2011; Gagnon et al. 2022), characterised by large flowers and fruits, and usually large, repand leaves. In tropical Asia it is widely planted as a street and shade tree, and also sometimes as living fencing. It is not known to naturalise and is rarely collected out of cultivation.

Bentham (1861) did not state where he had examined herbarium material for his "Flora of Hong-Kong", and subsequent authors have assumed the Kew sheet of Wright 849 is the holotype for this name (e.g., Vorontsova and Knapp 2016). This is likely to have been the only material Bentham saw, as Wright’s collections were distributed from the Smithsonian, but since he did not cite a single collection in a single herbarium it is necessary to designate a lectotype for this widely used name ( McNeill 2014); it is surprising it has not been done inadvertently previously. We lectotypify S. wrightii here in conformity with previous usage, selecting the Kew duplicate of Wright 849 as the lectotype (K000545757).

Specimens examined.

See Suppl. materials 1-3.

Doubtful and suppressed names

Solanum canescens Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. 13: 701. 1826. No specimens or locality cited; Blume cited no specimens or localities, and it is unclear if his description is a re-description of S. incanum sensu Forssk. (= S. incanum L., see Vorontsova and Knapp 2016), or if he based it on Indonesian specimens. The protologue states "(aff. S. sancto ; S. incanum Forssk, forsan eadem species)" perhaps indicating this is a replacement name for the unpublished S. incanum sensu Forssk., a bibliographic reference to S. incanum L. and not intended as a new name. No material in Leiden is annotated with this name, nor have we found any other material that Blume used annotated as S. canescens . We are treating this name as doubtful.

Solanum ferox L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2: 267. 1762, nom. utique rej. (suppressed name; Knapp 2011, see Shenzhen Code Appendices at https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/codes-proposals/index.cfm).

Solanum indicum L., Sp. Pl. 187. 1753, nom. utique rej. (suppressed name; Hepper 1978, see Shenzhen Code Appendices at https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/codes-proposals/index.cfm).

Solanum sodomeum Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 365. 1852, nom. utique rej. (suppressed name; Hepper 1978, see Shenzhen Code Appendices at https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/botany/codes-proposals/index.cfm).

“Names” (designations) not validly published

Solanum album Noronha, Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunst. 5(Art. 4): 84. 1791, nomen nudum, name in list, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1). [Page 84 in 1827 exact reprint, read 1790, printed 1791] = S. melongena L.

Solanum blattaroioides Koen. ex Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 127. 1852, pro syn. Solanum pubescens Willd. = S. pubescens Willd. (herbarium name on König s.n. specimen of S. pubescens [BM000900094]).

Solanum canaranum Miq. ex C.B.Clarke, Fl. Brit. India [J. D. Hooker] 4(10): 236. 1883, pro syn. Solanum trilobatum L. = S. trilobatum L.

Solanum coccineum Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 310. 1852, pro syn. Solanum indicum Nees var. sinuato-lobatum Dunal = S. violaceum Ortega

Solanum diffusum Roxb. ex Wall., Hort. Bengal. 17. 1814, nomen nudum, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) = Solanum virginianum L. (i.e., K001116578)

Solanum ferox Jungh. ex Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 650. 1857, pro syn. Solanum junghuhnii Miq. = S. violaceum Ortega

Solanum fuscum B.Heyne ex Wall., Numer. List [Wallich] no. 2622b. 1831, nomen nudum [probably from Heyne’s herbarium], no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) = S. trilobatum L.

Solanum indicum Roxb., Hort. Bengal. 17. 1814, nomen nudum, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1); identity uncertain, could apply to any number of species from the region; probably a reference to S Solanum indicum L. (nom. utique rej.)

Solanum intermedium Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 311. 1852, pro syn. Solanum hovei Dunal (herbarium name on holotype specimen of S. hovei , Hove s.n. [BM000900293]) = S. hovei Dunal

Solanum involucratum Kurz, Forest Fl. Burma 2: 224. 1877, nomen nudum, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1), probably not intended as a new name; probably = S. barbisetum Nees

Solanum lividum Willd. ex Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 310. 1852, pro syn. Solanum indicum Nees var. sinuato-lobatum Dunal = S. violaceum Ortega

Solanum longum Roxb., Hort. Bengal. 16. 1814, nomen nudum, name in list, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) = Solanum melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. subsp. agrestis Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 318. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1) = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. agrestis Dikii, Trudy Prikl. Bot. Genet. Selek. 88: 105. 1984. Not validly published, no description, diagnosis or type (seems to be homotypic with his subsp. Solanum melongena agrestis ) = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. americanum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 317. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. meridionale Filov var. americanum Filov = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. arabicum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 318. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. subspontaneum Filov var. arabicum Filov = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. azerbaijanicum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 313. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. occidentale Haz. var. azerbaijanicum Filov = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. bulgaricum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 313. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. occidentale Haz. var. bulgaricum Filov = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. europaeum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 314. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. occidentale Haz. var. europaeum Filov = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. giganteum (Alef.) Dikii, Trudy Prikl. Bot. Genet. Selek. 88: 105. 1984, as " gigantea "; not a new name, re-publication of Alefeld’s name at the same rank. = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. insanum (L.) Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 321. 1958, not validly published, no full and direct references to original place of publication (Art. 41.5); also nom. illeg., later homonym as Solanum melongena L. subsp. agrestis Filov var. insanum (L.) Filov = S. insanum L.

Solanum melongena L. var. leucoum (Alef.) Dikii, Trudy Prikl. Bot. Genet. Selek. 88: 105. 1984; not a new name, re-publication of Alefeld’s name at the same rank. = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. subsp. meridionale Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 315. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1) [cites as syn. var. Solanum melongena insanum Nees, var. Solanum melongena esculentum Bailey] = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. subsp. orientale Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 306. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1) = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. ovigera Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 2: 19. 1794, the name that occurs in the agricultural and some other indices, is not presented as a binomial in Lamarck (1794). The protologue reads "β Idem fructu ovato, alb. Melongena Solanum ovigera . Ex Hort. Paris". We do not consider this to be the coining of a new name (Art. 23). A specimen in the Lamarck herbarium at P (P00357638) labelled " Solanum melongena ovigera /Dict. No. 43" in Lamarck’s hand is probably original material associated with this polynomial. = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. ovigera Pers., Syn. Pl. [Persoon] 1: 221. 1805, this name that occurs in some indices was not published as a binomial, the protologue reads "β Melongena ( Solanum ovigera )", along with citations of Tournefort (1700), Miller (1768) and Lamarck ( “encl.”) We do not consider this name to be validly published (Art. 23). = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. pekinense Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 310. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. orientale Filov var. pekinense Filov= S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. palestinicum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 316. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. meridionale Filov var. palestinicum Filov = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. racemosum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 320. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1); as Solanum melongena L. subsp. agrestis Filov var. racemosum Filov = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. stenoleucum (Alef.) Dikii, Trudy Prikl. Bot. Genet. Selek. 88: 104. 1984, as " stenoleuca "; not a new name, re-publication of Alefeld’s name at the same rank.

Solanum melongena L. subsp. subspontaneum Filov, Kult. Fl. SSSR (Zhukovskii) 10: 318. 1958., not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1) [cites in synonymy subsp. Solanum melongena italo-arabicum Filov, perhaps a herbarium name?] = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. variegatum (Alef.) Dikii, Trudy Prikl. Bot. Genet. Selek. 88: 105. 1984, as " variegata "; not a new name, re-publication of Alefeld’s name with spelling correction. = S. melongena L.

Solanum melongena L. var. violaceum (Alef.) Dikii, Trudy Prikl. Bot. Genet. Selek. 88: 105. 1984, as " violacea "; not a new name, re-publication of Alefeld’s name at the same rank. = S. melongena L.

Solanum nelsonii Zipp. ex Span., Linnaea 15: 337. 1841, pro syn. Solanum indicum L. = S. violaceum Ortega.

Solanum ovigerum Dunal var. album Sweet, Hort. Brit., ed. 2: 387. 1830, nomen nudum, listed in table, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) = S. melongena L.

Solanum ovigerum Dunal var. luteum Sweet, Hort. Brit., ed. 2: 387. 1830, nomen nudum, listed in table, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) = S. melongena L.

Solanum ovigerum Dunal var. ruber Sweet, Hort. Brit., ed. 2: 387. 1830, nomen nudum, listed in table, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) probably = S. aethiopicum L.

Solanum ovigerum Dunal var. violaceum Sweet, Hort. Brit., ed. 2: 387. 1830, nomen nudum, listed in table, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) = S. melongena L.

Solanum ovoideum Zipp. ex Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 647. 1857, pro syn. Solanum ferox L. var. involucratum (Blume) Miq. = S. involucratum Blume

Solanum peikuoense S.S.Ying, Quarterly J. Exp. For. Natl. Taiwan Univ. 11(1): 14. 1997, as " Solanum peikuoensis ", name not validly published; the words holotype or the equivalent were not used contrary to Art. 40.6. = S. peikuoense S.S.Ying in. X.Aubriot & S.Knapp

Solanum prostratum Raeusch., Nomencl. Bot. 60. 1797, nomen nudum, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1); identity uncertain.

Solanum pubescens B.Heyne ex Walp., Repert. Bot. Syst. (Walpers) 3: 83. 1844, pro syn. Solanum indicum L. var. δ = S. pubescens Willd.

Solanum quercifolium Banks ex Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 345. 1852, pro syn. Solanum poka Dunal = S. pseudosaponaceum Blume (herbarium name on Banks & Solander s.n. specimen of S. pseudosaponaceum [BM000886238]).

Solanum racemosum Noronha, Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunst. 5(Art. 4): 26. 1790, nomen nudum, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1); identity uncertain, probably misuse of S. racemosum Jacq., a Caribbean species that is a synonym of S. bahamense L.

Solanum reflexispinosum Merr., Fl. Arfak Mts. [Gibbs] 178. 1917, pro syn. Solanum retrorsum Elmer (herbarium name on a specimen of S. retrorsum , Williams 1074 [K000195907]) = S. retrorsum Elmer

Solanum serpentinum Noronha, Verh. Batav. Genootsch. Kunst. 5(Art. 4): 84. 1791, nomen nudum, name in list, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1). = S. melongena L.

Solanum serpentinum Desf., Cat. Pl. Horti Paris 397. 1829, nomen nudum; on page 115 in list as " Solanum serpentinum H."; on page 397 as " Solanum serpentinum / Fructus elongatus serpentinus. An varietas S. Melongenae?"; refers to a horticultural name and not with the intention of coining a new name, this description is much less detailed than those in which Desfontaines did intend new names in this work. = S. melongena L.

Solanum surattense Burm.f. var. awanicum Yousef, Mir A.Khan & Shinwari, Pakistan J. Bot 41(5) 2099. 2009, not validly published, no description or diagnosis in Latin (Art. 39.1). = S. virginianum L.

Solanum tomentosum Herb. Hasselt. ex Miq., Fl. Ned. Ind. 2: 654. 1857, pro syn. Solanum undatum Lam. = S. insanum L.

Solanum undatum Poir., Encycl. (Lamarck) 4: 301. 1797, not a new name, Poiret makes clear reference to Lamarck’s protologue.

Solanum vagum B.Heyne ex Wall., Numer. List [Wallich] n. 2624. 1831, nomen nudum, no description or diagnosis (Art. 38.1) = Solanum vagum Nees.

Solanum violaceum DC. ex Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 359. 1852, pro syn. Solanum undatum Lam. var. violaceum Dunal = S. insanum L.

Solanum vincentii Delile ex Dunal, Prodr. [A. P. de Candolle] 13(1): 310. 1852, pro syn. Solanum indicum Nees var. sinuato-lobatum Dunal = S. violaceum Ortega

Solanum virginianum Jacq., Icon. Pl. Rar. [Jacquin] 2: 11, t. 332. 1792, not a new name, Jacquin (1792) makes clear reference to the Linnaean protologue.

Figures

Figure 73. Introduced species of Solanum. Solanum torvum Sw. A habit (Meeboonya et al. RM 267, Thailand) B detail view of an inflorescence with flowers and fruits (Meeboonya et al. RM 267, Thailand). Solanum viarum Dunal C habit (Sampath Kumar et al. 126976, India) D detail view of a flower (Sampath Kumar et al. 126923, India) E detail view of a fruit (Sampath Kumar et al. 126923, India). Solanum wrightii Benth. F habit (Meeboonya et al. RM 271, Thailand) G detail view of flowers (Meeboonya et al. RM 271, Thailand) H detail view of fruits (Meeboonya et al. RM 271, Thailand). Photograph credits: X. Aubriot.