Jaltomata contorta (R. & P.) Mione, Brittonia 51(1): 31-33. 1999.

basionym: Saracha contorta R. & P.,  Fl. Peruv. et Chil. 2: 43. tab. 180. 1799.

Type Collector & #:  Ruiz fide the photospecimen at WIS

Type Locality: Peru; Department Lima, province Canta, Obrajillo
(Obrajillo is at 2,732 m; 76 36' 33" W long., 11 26' 40" S lat., information from Instituto Geografico Nacional Peru)

Date of type coll.: 3-7 Feb 1788 (information from the book describing the travels of Ruiz & Pavon)

Lectotype: G!          Isolectotype: B-destroyed, F neg. 2549 G!, WIS!

no type material is held by MA (Benitez de Rojas, Rev. Fac. Agron. [Maracay], IX(1):91-92, 1976)

Redescribed: G. Don, Gen. Syst. 4: 452. 1838. Dunal, DC. Prodr. 13(1): 430. 1852. Macbride 1962.

Synonyms: Bellinia contorta (R. & P.) Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. 4: 689. 1819.
Atropa contorta (R. & P.) Sprengel, Spreng. Syst. Veget. 1: 699. 1825-1828.
Witheringia contorta (R. & P.) Miers, Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., second series, 11: 92. 1853. Ill. S. Amer. Pl. 2: App. 56. 1857.

Distribution: At the herbarium MOL in Peru, year 2005, Graciela Vilcapoma Segovia told Thomas Mione that she criss crossed Obrajillo (Peru, Dept. Lima, prov. Canta), knowing the area intimately, and never found this species. As well, Segundo Leiva G., Leon Yacher and Thomas Mione were unable to find this species in the Obrajillo area. Thomas Mione therefore believes that this species was described in error, and he understands that he should not have transferred it to Jaltomata.
The type of J. contorta was a cultivated specimen (see protologue) and it is likely that seeds from further north were accidentally mixed in with Peruvian collections. The type most closely resembles J. procumbens. And the type specimen, had it never been designated a type specimen, would merely be annotated as J. procumbens. Thomas Mione very much doubts that the seeds used to grow the type specimen were even collected in Peru because J. procumbens is not known from Peru.

Web page Feb 2008