Jaltomata biflora (R. & P.) Benítez
Peru
updated 2009  
Link to Jaltomata homepage 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, Connecticut 06050-4010, United States of America.
future link(s) to the Jaltomata of one or more departments
Rev. Fac. Agron (Maracay), IX (1): 91 - 92.
Saracha biflora Ruiz & Pav. Flora Peruviana 2: 42-43, t. 179. 1797-99. [not Atropa biflora, a synonym of J. bicolor]

In the book The Journals of Hipólito Ruiz, this species is mentioned on page 114 as Saracha biflora. Tarma is one of the provinces of the department of Junin, Peru. Ruiz wrote (page 113) "During the 11 months that we remained in the province of Tarma, exploring the area and carrying out botanical excursions in all directions, we discovered in those gorges and at the edge of the forest a considerable number of trees, shrubs, and herbs that had familiar uses, medicinal properties, or economic potential. The following are those that I collected, dried, and described; illustrations were done for nearly all of them." And then he lists numerous species, including (on page 114) Saracha biflora. He makes no mention of humans uses of this species in this work. See Mione et al. (2001) for more information about this species.
Three anthers have dehsiced, two (part of the shorter stamens) have not yet dehisced.

The above photo and the photo on the right are of Daniel Mugaburu's collection, grown as Mione 608 and photographed in Connecticut by T. Mione.

 

Mione is indebted to Daniel Mugaburu for seeds and pressed specimens of this species collected at the type locality.

Photo of the type specimen
housed in Paris.
Smallest units on ruler are mm.

 


Nikon Coolpix 885,
illuminated with four
incandescent bulbs,
photo by T. Mione,


Greenhouse observations: Styles measured during the hermaphroditic phase ranged in length from 12 to 18 mm, with the extremes of this range present on the same plant at the same time.   After two to three days of being pistillate, flowers with longer styles automatically self-pollinated because the stigma came in contact with the dehisced anthers.   Flowers having shorter styles were similarly protogynous but were also herkogamous: dehisced anthers and the stigma remained separated by 3 mm and the stigma remained free of pollen in the absence of pollinators.   Style length variation data are preliminary given low sample size (n = 7 measurements) and because for this study T.M. used three plants and did not know if these were from separate seeds, or cuttings of one or two individuals (seeds were sown in 1996 but these observations were not made until the year 2000).  

Country, Department Province

Locality elevation habitat date collector Data Entry
Peru, Junín,  Tarma "huasa-huasi" on the label of the types and "Huassahuassi" in the protologue. Modern: Huasahuasi       Dombey April 2009
Peru, Junín,  Tarma Carpapata, above Huacapistana 2700 - 3200 edge of forest June 1929 E. P. Killip & A. C. Smith 24396 (NY, US) April 2009
Peru, Junín, Tarma walked up mountain from town of Huasahuasi 2965 -
3030 m
sunny, among shrubs June 1996 Daniel Mugaburu 5 & 6, grown as Mione 608 March 2009
             

 

Morphological Character description
 Habit* sprawling shrub
Hairs dense indument of gland-tipped finger hairs on calyx & corolla
   
   
   
   
   
Corolla color and shape green and urceolate
Corolla Size: 1.3 cm long, the base to 1.4 cm in diameter
Corolla lobes/lobules 5 narrowly triangular lobes alternating with inconspicuous lobules
Anther color purple before dehiscence
Style Length (hermph phase) 12 to 18 mm, with the extremes of this range present on the same plant at the same time
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 

 

   
   
   
   
   
 seeds per fruit "over 300" Mugaburu personal communication
   

* Habit Discussion: Macbride (1962) described Jaltomata biflora (as Saracha biflora, page 31) as herbaceous. I grew this species from seeds collected very near the type locality and this species is definitely woody, so Macbride was apparently incorrect.

Protologue lists flowering months as: November & December

Literature Cited