A sticky and heavily armed new species of Solanum (Solanumsubg.Leptostemonum, Solanaceae) from eastern Brazil.

Yuri Fernandes Gouvêa,João Renato Stehmann,Leandro Lacerda Giacomin

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.111.28595

Yuri Fernandes Gouvêa, João Renato Stehmann + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.111.28595

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Abstract

We describe a new species of spiny Solanum (Solanumsubg.Leptostemonum), endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and associated with granitic outcrops (inselbergs or sugar loaf mountains). Solanumkollastrum Gouvêa & Giacomin, sp. nov. is morphologically similar to the poorly known S.sublentum Hiern, but is a heavily armed, much more robust plant with stellate-glandular indumentum. Together with S.sublentum, it is morphologically related to some species of Solanum such as S.hexandrum Vell., S.robustum H.Wendl., and S.stagnale Moric. that share strongly accrescent calyces, large leaves with the bases decurrent on to the petiole, pendent simple inflorescences and large, robust flowers. The new species is restricted to a few known populations in southern Bahia and north-eastern Minas Gerais states and conservation efforts are needed.

Highlights

Solanum L., with about 1,400 species, is the most species-rich genus of the economically important Solanaceae family, in addition to being amongst the largest genera of flowering plants (Frodin 2004; Hawkes 1999)
Solanum kollastrum is morphologically related to a group of species endemic to the south-eastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest that share strongly accrescent fruiting calyces, large leaves with decurrent bases and large, robust flowers
Three species (S. hexandrum, S. robustum and S. stagnale) were sampled in the molecular phylogeny of Stern et al (2011), forming a moderately supported clade sister to the clade that includes species traditionally placed in Solanum section Erythrotrichum A.Child

Summary

Introduction

Solanum L., with about 1,400 species, is the most species-rich genus of the economically important Solanaceae family, in addition to being amongst the largest genera of flowering plants (Frodin 2004; Hawkes 1999). Phylogenetic studies have recovered the major lineages within Solanum, with the prickly species that possess stellate trichomes composing the largest of them, a monophyletic group known as the Leptostemonum clade or Solanum subg. Especially the eastern portion of its territory, is one of the primary centres of diversity and endemism for both non-spiny (Knapp 2002) and spiny solanums (Whalen 1984) in the New World. With approximately 110 species of spiny solanums (Agra 2007; BFG 2015) and 10 of the 13 New World lineages recovered in Stern et al (2011), the Brazilian Solanum flora is exceedingly diverse. Jbrj.gov.br/, see BFG 2015) have shed light on the taxonomy of endemic groups (e.g. Asterophorum clade, Gouvêa and Stehmann in press.; Inornatum clade, Giacomin 2015) and led to the discovery of various undescribed species

Material and methods

Findings

Discussion