1. Corolla rotate, crateriform or infundibular (varies with phenology) . . . . 2
1. Corolla tubular, more than 3X longer than the width at midlength, green; high elevations . . . . . . . . J. viridiflora
2. Corolla not white (purple, blue, pale-green) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Corolla white . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3. Stems and leaves having dense vestiture of gland-tipped hairs, shrub, 3-5 flowers per inflorescence, flowers purplish to blueish, J. sinuosa ( J. glandulosa is a synonym)
3. Stems and leaves glabrous to moderately hairy, the hairs (when present) not gland-tipped, herbs with black/purple fruit . . - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. Filaments curved to sigmoid, style curved, anthers of a flower vary in size (easily seen prior to anther dehiscence), common below 1200 m of elevation, associated with coffee plantations J. repandidentata
4. Filaments straight, style straight, anthers of a flower are the same size . . . . . . . . . . . . J. procumbens
5. Plants glabrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5. Leaves and stems with a vestiture of mostly gland-tipped hairs, up to 10 flowers per inflorescence, flowers to 1.8 mm in diameter, fruits red . . . . . . . . . J. sanctae-martae
6. Filaments villous along lower half, 5-6 flowers per inflorescence, calyx diameter (at fruit maturity) less than 16 mm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. auriculata
6. Filaments glabrous, 3-4 flowers per inflorescence, calyx diameter (at fruit maturity) greater than 18 mm; currently not known from Colombia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. nitida
1. Corolla rotate, crateriform or infundibular (varies with phenology) . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1. Corolla tubular, more than 3X longer than the width at midlength, green; high elevations . . . . . . J. viridiflora
2. Hairs of the leaves and stems gland-tipped, fruits orange to red . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Hairs of leaves and stems not gland-tipped or plants glabrate, fruit color variable . . 4
3. Flowers purplish to blueish, 3-5 flowers per inflorescence J. sinuosa
3. Flowers white, to 10 flowers per inflorescence, flowers to 1.8 mm in diameter, fruits red . . . . . . . J. sanctae-martae
4. Corolla pale-green, fruits purple/black, herbs . . . . . . 5
4. Corolla white, fruits red, suffrutescent . . . . . . . . . 6
5. Filaments curved to sigmoid, style curved, anthers of a flower vary in size (easily seen prior to anther dehiscence), common below 1200 m of elevation, associated with coffee plantations J. repandidentata
5. Filaments straight, style straight, anthers of a flower are the same size J. procumbens
6. Filaments villous along lower half, 5-6 flowers per inflorescence, calyx diameter (at fruit maturity) less than 16 mm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. J. auriculata
6. Filaments glabrous, 3-4 flowers per inflorescence, calyx diameter (at fruit maturity) greater than 18 mm; currently not known from Colombia . . . .J. nitida
A future worker might find, after more collections are made and/or much more fieldwork is done, that the types of J. auriculata and J. nitida represent extremes of variation of one biological species. I am not suggesting this is true, but only suggesting this could possibly be true because I have not seen many collections of either, and both are glabrate, have white flowers and red fruits.
A future worker may also find that J. sanctae-martae and J. antillana (Greater Antilles) are actually the same species. I am not suggesting that this is the case, but have never studied living plants of J. sanctae-martae, and would like to do so before being sure that it is not the same biological species as J. antillana.
If a future worker wonders whether J. procumbens and J. repandidentata actually represent one variable species, please know that I spent some time doing field work in Bolivia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua (I saw J. repandidentata in all three) and spent a tremendous amount of time growing black/purple fruited accessions, and I am absolutely certain that J. procumbens and J. repandidentata are distinct and defendable species.
Link to Jaltomata home page
The information on this page may be cited as a communication with professor Thomas Mione, Central Connecticut State University, Biology Department, Copernicus Hall, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050-4010