Jaltomata andersonii Mione

Figure 1. Photo by Thomas Mione, collection 620	Figure 2. Photo by Segundo Leiva G., collection Leiva G., Mione and Yacher 2127

Figure 3.   Jaltomata andersonii A. Branch with flowers and leaves B. Partial flower, longitudinal hand-section with lower left excised, Ca - calyx, Co - corolla, OD - Ovarian disk, T - trichomes at base of stamen, the stamen otherwise removed  C and D. Anther and part of filament, dorsal and lateral views, respectively.   Bar = 1 cm in A, and 1 mm in B and C.   Illustration by Luis Serazo from T. Mione, S. Leiva G. & L. Yacher 620.

Jaltomata andersonii (Solanaceae) is distributed on the western slope of the Andes, in the Departments of Ancash and Lima, Peru, from 2300 to 3400 m of elevation.   This species differs from others of the genus by having an unarticulated axis connecting the flower to the plant where all others have both a peduncle and a pedicel.   The following combination of features also characterize this species: the hairs of leaves and axes are gland-tipped, the petiole is no longer than 1 cm, the flowers are solitary, the corolla is broadly crateriform-rotate, purple and up to 3.7 cm in diameter, and the filaments are extremely villous at their base.  This species was discovered during fieldwork in 1998.

Mione and Coe (1992) placed the following binomials in synonymy with Jaltomata aspera (Ruiz & Pav.) Mione: Saracha ciliata Miers, Saracha lacrima - virginis Bitter, and Saracha urbaniana Bitter & Dammer.   The type specimens of all of these binomials have a single relatively large flower per inflorescence, and were collected either on the west slope of the Andes or in the lomas [a fog-fed desert habitat of the west coast of South America having a high level of endemism (Dillon 1997)].   The new species here described also has a single flower per inflorescence and is from the west slope of the Andes.   Given these similarities, one may wonder if one of the aforementioned binomials represents the earliest name of the species here described.           

None of the above binomials represent the earliest name of this species for the following reasons.   The type specimens of the above Saracha binomials have both a peduncle and a pedicel, and were described as producing red nectar.   According to the protologue of Jaltomata aspera (Ruiz and Pavón 1799) the type was collected in Amancaes and the flower is violet in the middle ("in centro violacea").   Amancaes is located within lomas habitat, and is within several hundred meters of sea-level [according to a specimen label of J. aspera collected at Amancaes (Weberbauer 5246a, US), and Dillon, Field Museum of Chicago, pers. com.].   The description of the flower as violet in the middle suggests that the type produced red floral nectar, and red floral nectar has been documented for J. aspera (Vilcapoma S. and Granda P., Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, pers. com.).   In contrast, the species here described has a single unarticulated axis joining the flower to the plant (Figure 3A), lacks red nectar, and grows at high elevations, not in the lomas habitat.   Thus, all of the above Saracha binomials are synonyms of J. aspera , as originally reported (Mione and Coe 1992).

TAXONOMIC TREATMENT

Jaltomata andersonii Mione.   TYPE: Peru. Dept. Lima: prov. Huarochirí, highway from Lima to La Oroya between km 82 & 83, 2500 m, with J. propinqua (Miers) Mione & M. Nee, 16 Jan 1998, T. Mione, S. Leiva G. & L. Yacher 622 (Holotype: NY!; Isotype: CONN!).

Herba perennis usque ad 20 cm alta, petiolo usque ad 1 cm longo, foliis et axibus pilos digitiformes, glanduliferos apice ferentibus, flore solitario, corolla purpurea, late crateriformi-rotata usque ad 3.7 cm cruciatim, filamentis maxime villosis basi.

Much branching, presumably perennial, herb to 20 cm, the hairs of the younger axes and leaves gland-tipped.   Leaves alternate, sometimes geminate, the blades ovate, 4-7.5 cm long (to 10.5 cm on Spooner et al. 7364a ) X 2-3.5 cm wide, 3-4 pairs of primary veins, the apex often somewhat acuminate, the base usually cuneate and symmetrical or nearly so, adaxially densely pilose due to erect finger hairs, abaxially sparsely pubescent (nearly glabrous on Laudeman 5365 ), the margin nearly entire to sinuate-dentate, ciliate, the petiole to 1 cm long.   Peduncle unarticulated, villous, 13-18 mm long; flower solitary.   Calyx green, rotate, 16-21 mm across at anthesis, the lobes triangular with an acute apex, abaxially with a raised costa, bearing gland-tipped finger hairs to 3 mm long, and stalked multicellular glands (illustrated in Mione and Serazo 1999) 85-100 µm long, adaxially with a uniform covering of erect, glandless hairs 0.24 - 0.3 mm long, the margin with two classes of hairs: gland-tipped finger hairs to 2.8 mm long and glandless hairs to 0.1 mm long; calyx to 25 mm across with fruit.   Corolla broadly crateriform-rotate, 5-lobed (Figure 3A), to 3.7 cm in diameter, purple with 5 pairs of dark-green maculae in a proximal ring, each pair of maculae straddling the main vein that extends radially to the tip of a corolla lobe, closing for the night, the margin ciliate, with glandless finger hairs to 0.6 mm long; both faces of corolla with abundant, evenly distributed stalked multicellular glands 85 - 100 µm long.   Stamens 5, 6.9-7.2 mm long, filaments straight, extremely villous at base (Figure 3A, B); anthers (Figure 3C, D) 1.9-2.8 mm on pressed specimens, to 3.9 mm long on specimens preserved in alcohol in Peru, drying brown, or yellow if covered with pollen.   Style straight (Figure 3B), 5.7-6.3 mm long, 0.15-0.36 mm wide at midlength.   The stigma the same width as the distal end of the style, 0.21-0.3 mm wide (pressed), 0.36 mm wide (preserved in alcohol in Peru), both measured perpendicular to the length.   Ovarian disk broad, girdling base of the ovary (Figure 3B).   Gynoecium glabrous, except for stigma papillae to 13 µm long; ovary glabrous but appearing villous (Figure 3B) because of the dense vestiture of the stamen bases.   Berries of unknown color, probably orange or red, 12 mm across (measured on Laudeman 5365 ).

Geographic and Altitudinal Distribution. PERU, mostly dept Lima, one specimen from Ancash.