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Solanum pertenue Standl. & C.V. MortonSolanaceae - Tomato Family |
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Description. Shrub or treelet mature at 1-2 m; twigs round, rarely with fine ridges, minute erect pubescence, nodes swollen; leaves mostly solitary, distichous, petiole 8-10 mm, blade lanceolate to elliptic, apex acuminate, base acute, margin undulate, texture thin, veins with persistent short erect pubescence below, midvein keeled above, lateral veins 7-10, expressed finely above, strongly below, weakly bullate, odor weak; inflorescence 3-10 mm, unbranched; flower 7-10 mm, white with yellow anthers, pedicel 15-18 mm, very slender at base and widening gradually to apex; fruit gobose, 15 mm, yellow-green when mature; about 20 seeds per fruit, seed 4-5 mm x 3-4 mm x 2 mm, light green with a leathery coat. Similar species: Solanum pastillum- treelet to 3 m, leaves often paired, bullate, but margin not undulate, veins glabrous, inflorescence usually longer than pedicel and often branched, calyx lobes rounded, knob-like. Solanum ramonense- twig nodes more swollen, leaves paired, glabrous, both inflorescence and pedicels short. Solanum tuerckheimii- leaves paired, with a yellow cast below and glabrous, twigs with cracking reddish bark. Local distribution. Wet forest and lower cloud forest on Pacific slope at 1400-1550 m. Habitat. Open understory of primary forest, understory of secondary forest, bordering forest trails and gaps. Species range. Nicaragua to Panama Abundance. Common Phenology. Flower: Jun-Nov +; Fruit: Oct-Jan +.
Herbivores. Pteronymia simplex (Ithomiinae) Pollinators. Bees Seed dispersers. Bats? Comments. Voucher No. Haber 9301 |
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