Solanum umbellatum Mill.

Solanaceae - Tomato family
Identification:
– 1.5-5 m treelet, no spines
– narrow elliptic leaves, no lobes, dense stellate hairs
– 1 cm white flowers on erect inflorescence

habit with flower

 flower

Description. Shrub or treelet to 5 m; densley pubescent with soft stellate hairs; leaves narrowly elliptic and not lobed, mostly not paired; 1 cm white flowers with yellow anthers; flowers and fruits on erect inflorescences held above the foliage.

Similar species:

Solanum chrysotrichum and rudepannum have curved spines.

S. cordovense has much smaller leaves, flowers and fruit.

Local distribution. Pacific slope wet forest at 1300 to 1500 m, not entering cloud forest.

Habitat. Roadsides and abandoned pastures.

Species range. Mexico to South America.

Abundance. Common

Phenology. FL: most of year (jan, jul-aug); FR: follows flowering.

Herbivores. Dircenna klugii, Dircenna relata

Pollinators. Bees

Seed dispersers. Bats

Comments. A common weedy treelet in pastures from 1350-1550 m on the Pacific slope. Easy to recognize when fertile by the erect inflorescences.

Voucher No. Haber 4252
Plant intro
Images and text copyright © 2001-2006 by William A. Haber, http://efg.cs.umb.edu/
Created: 15 May 2001. Updated: 13 December 2006.