Upper: pistillate phase flower at center, hermaphroditic phase flower in lower left
Lower: hermaphrodtic phase flowers and buds
Lower: Ripe berry. Each sepal continues to (in cross section) be recurved.
| Jaltomata "spooneri" unpublished | Link to Jaltomata home page | Link to Jaltomata of Mexico and Central America |
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Upper: pistillate phase flower at center, hermaphroditic phase flower in lower left Lower: hermaphrodtic phase flowers and buds |
Upper: back of flower showing calyx. Each sepal (in cross section) is recurved Lower: Ripe berry. Each sepal continues to (in cross section) be recurved. |
JALTOMATA "SPOONERI" described in Mione's doctoral dissertation (1992) but not published
Type: MEXICO. MEXICO, on S side of road from Rt 130 (134) to Valle de Bravo, 2 km E of San Rimon, SSP Map 1:25,000 (E14-1), Lat 19 10' N, Long 100 01' W, 2,450 m, in pine forest with epiphytic vegetation, growing in soil next to drainage ditch, rare, 15 Oct 1988, D. M.Spooner & J. Gomez 4253 (grown as Mione 365) (provisional Holotype: greenhouse-grown specimen from seeds of the type collection: CONN!). Grown for study in Connecticut (both in greenhouses and outdoors) from field collected seeds of the provisional holotype. Seeds generously provided by D. M. Spooner.
Erect perennial herb with pubescent stems and leaves. Inflorescence 5 - 7 flowered. Peduncle 13 - 25 mm long. Pedicel 8 - 16 mm long. Corolla rotate; pale-green; 5-lobed; 20 - 25 mm in diameter. Flowering calyx small and purple; 7.5 mm in diameter; lobe radius 3 mm; sinus radius 1 mm; the lobes twice recurved (both the long dimension and in cross section). Stamens 5.4 - 6 mm long. Filaments, slender part glabrous. Anther 1.7 - 2 mm long by 1.7 - 1.9 mm wide; yellow. Pollen grains 83,000 - 116,000 per androecium, 27.5 - 32.5 µm in diameter. Style 5.3 mm long. Ovules 112 - 123 per ovary. Fruiting calyx reflexed; purple; lobe radius 4.5 - 6 mm long, sinus radius 2.25 - 3 mm long (both N = 18). Fruits (mature, fresh) black/purple; 6 - 9.7 mm long by 6.9 - 12 mm wide (both N = 20). Description based on living plants from field-collected seeds of the holotype.
Jaltomata spooneri is distinguished from J. procumbens by having a flowering calyx only to 7.5 mm in diameter, calyx lobes recurved both the long way and in cross section, 5-lobed (never 10-lobed) corollas, and a fruiting calyx lobe radius to 6 mm. In contrast, J. procumbens has a flowering calyx diameter larger than 8 mm, 10-lobed corollas and a fruiting calyx lobe radius longer than 6 mm. The minimum pollen grain diameter for the other species of the Mesoamerican lineage (32.5 µm) is the maximum measured diameter for this species.
Distribution and Habitat: only known from the type locality; in pine forest with epiphytic vegetation, growing in soil next to drainage ditch
Uses and Local Name: unknown.
Additional Specimens Examined. none found.