| 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 |
Link to Jaltomata of Mexico and Central America |
Jaltomata darcyana is known only from the seasonally dry Pacific Coast of Costa Rica where it grows at lower elevations than other Jaltomata species. The combination of relatively large somewhat coriaceous leaves, and flowers that lack protogyny, last only a single day and have curved styles, contributed to the recognition of this taxon as a distinct species. It is possible that this species will be found in low elevation seasonally dry habitat in Nicaragua.
 |
 |
 |
Upper Left: Flower. This species lacks a pistillate phase (anthers open and present pollen as soon as the flower opens). Early September 2002.
Upper Right: Ripe fruit and unripe fruit turned downward.
Left: Two inflorescences, each with one open flower.
Lower Left: Overhead view of flower. Shape of the base of the stamen is evident, as are corolla maculae and curved style.
Lower Right: Flower. One stamen was removed to reveal style and ovary. Droplets of clear nectar are evident on the corolla where the corolla meets the expanded bases of the stamens. Anthers have all dehisced.
All Photos by T. Mione in Connecticut, USA of plants grown from seeds of the type collection Mione & Yacher 694. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Reproductive Biology of Jaltomata darcyana
This species is self-compatible and autogamous, based on abundant fruit production by spatially isolated plants grown for study in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Nectar: Translucent nectar droplets were observed where the corolla and androecium meet. This nectar is likely produced by the ovarian disk and then, taking the path of least resistance, seeps through the bases of the stamens on to the corolla.
Flowers of this species last only a single day during which they are functionally hermaphroditic. The flowers of all other Jaltomata of the black/purple fruited lineage studied to date, some 50 collections, last at least two days and are always pistillate for a day prior to filament elongation and anther dehiscence. In contrast, J. darcyana has lost this initial period during which the flower cannot self-pollinate. To date, this is the only Jaltomata taxon of the black/purple fruited lineage that is not protogynous.
Cleistogamy: Plants grown in Connecticut showed self-pollination in the bud! The above bud (left) would open for the first time the day after this photo was taken (note small slit beginning to appear where corolla lobes meet). When I opened the bud (with fine forceps) I found (flower above right) that all five anthers had dehisced. Now we can see (above right) that the style curves slightly, and pollen is present on the stigma; the curve of the style seems to facilitate self-pollination. WE CAN SEE POLLEN ON THE STIGMA in the above right photo, pollen that either got there prior to my opening the bud, or during the opening of the corolla (by me). Given the curve of the style, it is entirely possible that the pollen got on the stigma (pollination took place) prior to the bud being manually opened.
In both of these photos two mm were cut from a plastic ruler, taped to the plant, and can be seen in the photos. All Photos by T. Mione in Connecticut, USA of plants grown from seeds of the type collection Mione & Yacher 694. |
TYPE: Costa Rica. Nicoya Peninsula, Curú, 90 46’ 50” N, 840 56’ 05” W, 98 m, edge of pasture, 11 Jan. 2000, T. Mione & L. Yacher 694 (holotype, NY!; isotypes: CONN!, CR!, MO!).
Described by Mione, T. & L. Yacher. 2005. Jaltomata (Solanaceae) of Costa Rica. In: A Festschrift for William G. D'Arcy, The Legacy of a Taxonomist. Edited by R. C. Keating, V. C. Hollowell and T. B. Croat. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden Press, volume 104. ISBN 1-930723-45-8.
Herba, caulibus insigniter angulatis, foliis ad 30cm longis, inflorescentiis floribus 23 ut maxime, calyce aequabiliter viridi, corolla rotata, filamenta recta, antheris non mucronulatis, stylo curvo dirigente stigma ad latus, floribus numquam non hermaphroditis.
In this description trichomes are not gland-tipped unless indicated as such. Finger hairs are uniseriate, unbranched and multicellular. Branchlet hairs have multiple termini (Seithe, 1979). Gland-tipped finger hairs (on the Jaltomata of Costa Rica found only on the adaxial face of the corolla) have an expanded terminal cell that stains densely with neutral red. As well, the multicellular head of the stalked glands (common on the abaxial faces of the perianth) also stains densely with neutral red. Pollen grain diameter was measured after staining pollen 30 minutes in "cotton blue" stain; anthers were stored in 70% ethanol prior to staining. Floral phenology was observed in the field, and on healthy plants grown for study both outdoors, and indoors under lights. Pollen grains were counted using the method of Anderson and Symon (1989). The ovule count of one locule was doubled to obtain the total ovules per ovary.
Erect glabrous herb to1.5 m high. Stems hollow, green to purple, strongly angulate with 4 to 5 raised longitudinal ridges (see photos above), to 2.5 cm in diameter at base. Leaves alternate, often geminate, the blade elliptic, somewhat coriaceous, the faces glabrous and lustrous, to 30 cm long, the length to width ratio 1.5—1.8, the proximal most 13—16% of the blade cuneate, the tip usually acuminate, the margin entire or nearly so and on smaller, younger leaves sparsely ciliolate with finger hairs to 0.1 mm long; petiole to 2.5 cm long. Inflorescence axillary or arising from a stem dichotomy, umbellate, to 23-flowered. Peduncle to 2.1 cm long and pedicel to 2.3 cm long; both green, glabrous, and with raised longitudinal ridges. Calyx during anthesis: green, 5.2—7.4 mm from pedicel to tip of lobe, 12--14 mm in diameter, the midrib raised, ciliolate near apex with 1 to 3 celled finger hairs 38—138 µm long, the hairs usually simple but occasionally with more than one terminus, abaxially with abundant stalked glands 60—75 µm long. Calyx at fruit maturity: to 26 mm in diameter, stellate, green, rotate to slightly reflexed, not hiding fruit in side view. Corolla (see above photos) rotate, light-green with dark-green maculae collectively stellate in outline, 5-lobed, 17—20 mm (-25 mm, cultivated) in diameter, the margin ciliolate with branchlet hairs to 190 µm long, adaxially densely pilosulose with erect, gland-tipped (droplet-tipped on fresh flowers) finger hairs, (4) 5—6 celled and 210—290 µm long, abaxially with abundant stalked glands 70—80 µm long. Stamens (see illustration below) 4.5—5 mm long; filaments straight or nearly so, nearly glabrous with unpigmented finger hairs to 0.3 mm long only on expanded base; anthers (see below illustration) 1.4—1.9 x 1.0—1.8 mm, yellow. Pollen 25—27.5 µm in diameter (n = 59 grains); 74,000—149,000 grains per androecium (n = 2 androecia). Stigma green, capitate,with a shallow medial groove (when living), 0.33—0.51 mm wide (when pressed), the papillae to 28 µm long (living); style 4.2—5.1 mm long, curving and so orienting the stigma to the side (see photos above); ovary dark green with an off-white to light orange disk girdling the base, glabrous; 158—168 ovules per ovary (n = 2 ovaries). Mature berries dark black-blue (see photo), subspherical,to 14 mm in diameter. Seeds subovate, alveolate,1.8—1.98 X 1.41—1.62 X0.45—0.54 mm thick, to 146 per fruit.
Chromosome number 2n = 24. Chromosomes were counted with the method of Bernardello & Anderson (1990); to obtain root tips seeds were sown on wet filter paper in a petri dish at room temperature under ambient light.
Paratypes. COSTA RICA. Guanacaste: Santa Rosa National Park, ca. 10 50’ N., 85 37’ W., 0--320 m, 16 July 1981, Janzen 12113 (MO), and 10 50’ N., 85 35’ W., 8 Nov. 1981, Janzen 12125 (F); Nicoya Peninsula, Cantón Nandayure, Pilas de Bejuco, Quebrada Seca, 9o 52’ 01” N., 85o 20’ 45” W., 40 m, 15 Oct. 1994, Estrada & Rodríguez 242 (CR, INB). Puntarenas: Reserva Biológica Carara Estación Quebrada Bonita, 9 46’ N., 84 36’ W., 30 m, 26 June 1990, Bello & Rojas 2295 (CR, F, INB); Nicoya Peninsula, Curú, pastures S of entrance road, mouth of Marianas Canyon, 50 m, 13 Sep. 1995, Sanders & Baker 17892 (F, NY).
 |
Stamens across top.
Dorsal view of anthers across bottom.
A and B show Jaltomata repandidentata
C and D show Jaltomata darcyana
E and F show Jaltomata procumbens collected in Costa Rica.
Illustration by Luis Serazo published in Mione & Yacher (2005) |
Literature Cited