Jaltomata oppositifolia S. Leiva & Mione
Novon 17: 49-58. 2007
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.
Links to the Jaltomata of Cajamarca, Peru

Lustrousness of leaves evident, corolla maculae (green) evident through base of corolla (photo in Peru by Thomas Mione, Mione, Leiva G. & Yacher 674)

Corolla maculae (green) easy to see as are corolla lobules

 

Photo in Peru by Thomas Mione

Mione, Leiva G. & Yacher 674

 

 
Habit & Height Shrub to 1.2 m high, learning on other vegetation or erect
Young axes young axes nearly terete, purple
Woody axes Woody stems terete, glabrous, to 2 cm in diameter, brown
Leaves Leaves usually geminate, the blade eliptic to lanceolate, to 4 X 1.7 cm, lustrous, coriaceous, glabrous, the apex acute, the margin entire and ciliolate; petiole 7--10 mm.
Flowers Per Inflorescence Inflorescence axillary, with 2- (3 buds) flowers per inflorescence
Peduncle & Pedicel peduncle 8--17 mm, terete, purple, glabrous; pedicel 8--17 mm, somewhat angular, purple, glabrous
Calyx green and nearly rotate during anthesis, 6.5--8 mm across, the lobes deltoid, glabrous except for scattered glands on both faces, the margin ciliolate; at fruiting to 17 mm across.
Corolla shape including lobes/lobules, and size crateriform-infundibular (broadly infundibular to rotate, protologue), 12--13 mm across, 10-lobed: 5 lobes alternating with 5 lobules, the lobes triangular
Corolla color and hairs white with two green maculae flanking the radial vein extending to the tip of each lobe (see in above photos); adaxially glabrous on herbarium specimens but pilosulose with gland-tipped finger hairs 0.1 mm long on fresh specimens, abaxially with glands, the margin ciliate with finger hairs 0.5 mm long.
Anther length & color yellow, 1.05--1.65 mm
Stamens 5--6.5 mm long, filaments off-white, pubescent on proximal 55--70% of the length with unpigmented finger hairs
Stigma capitate, shallowly bilobed (obscured by pressing), green, 0.51--0.84 mm, exserted 2--2.4 mm beyond corolla; gynoecium glabrous except for stigma papillae 40 µm long
Disk around ovary disk girdling base of ovary
Style length 6.5--8 mm long, off-white
Nectar
no data
Herkogamy? see photo below for evidence of
Fruit color (at maturity) and size Berries subspherical, orange, to 12 mm across at maturity
Seeds to 106 per fruit, 1.45 X 1.15 X 0.45 mm
Chromosome number
no data
  Frutex; laminae ad 4 x 1.8 cm, glabrae lucentes; inflorescentia 2 (-3)-flora; corolla late infundibulari-rotata, alba, faux quinque paribus maculae viridium instructa, limbus 12--13 mm latus, lobis 10; stamina 5--6.5 mm, antherae 1.05--1.65 mm; styli 6.5--8 mm.

Discussion. Jaltomata oppositifolia is similar to Leiva 3647=Mione744 and J. salpoensis S. Leiva & Mione. These are woody, have lustrous, entire leaves, lustrous peduncles and pedicels, a white corolla, and grow in northern Peru. Jaltomata oppositifolia has an upright habit, conspicuous corolla lobules, stamens are 5--6.5 mm long, anthers are yellow, and the style is 6.5--8 mm long. Jaltomata salpoensis, on the other hand, is sometimes prostrate, the crateriform corolla lacks lobules, stamens are 2.5--3 mm long, anthers are white, and the style is two mm long (Leiva & Mione, 1999).

     Distribution, ecology, and etymology. Jaltomata oppositifolia is known from the type locality and from near the small town of Paraguay, both of Peru, department of Cajamarca, province Chota, between 2250 and 3090 m. This species grows in secondary growth and near streams, but is not common. At the type locality it grows at the edge of one of the last remaining old-growth forests we saw in the region. This forest, Bosque El Pargo, was being cut for wood and agriculture when we visited in 1999. This species flowers and fruits in March, May, June and August. The specific epithet derives from the apparent phyllotaxy.

  department province locality elev habitat date collector data entry
Peru Cajamarca Chota Bosque el Pargo (between Llama & Huambos), 6 28 17 S, 79 03 22 W 3050 m border of cultivated fields and forest 19 June 1999 S. Leiva G., T. Mione & L. Yacher 2376 (holotype, HAO; isotypes, C, CORD, MO)[Mione, Leiva G. & Yacher 674 (MO) was collected at same time and place] April 2009
Peru Cajamarca Chota            
Peru Cajamarca Chota            
Peru Cajamarca Chota            
Peru Cajamarca Chota            
Peru Cajamarca Chota            

Bosque el Pargo (between Llama & Huambos), S. Leiva G., P. Chuna & J. Cadle 1523 (F, HAO)

A. Sagástegui A., S. Leiva G. & V. Quipuzcoa 15996 (HAO)


a 1 km del poblado de Paraguay (betw. Querocoto & La Granja), S. Leiva G., P. Chuna & J. Cadle 1380 (CORD, F, HAO).

Jaltomata oppositifolia

photo by Thomas Mione at the University of Connecticut Greenhouse, of plants grown from seeds of Mione, Leiva G. & Yacher 674

 

note: stigma beyond dehisced anthers (herkogamy)

Jaltomata oppositifolia

 

photo by Segundo Leiva G. taken at Bosque El Pargo