Saracha alata is almost certainly a synonym of Jaltomata procumbens |
Link to homepage of Jaltomata |
The information on this page may be cited as a communication with the author professor Thomas Mione, Central Connecticut State University, Biology Department, Copernicus Hall, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, Connecticut 06050-4010, United States of America. |
Saracha alata Dunal Take a look at the holotype in the photos below and I am sure you will agree - you are looking at a Jaltomata. However, the flowers are face down, so I can not confidently identify this specimen. Where was the type collected? Photospecimens of the specimens, presumably isotypes, at "Herbarium Horti Botanici Matritensis": I see a curved style (on the photospecimen at NY, Neg. No. 48260) and this suggests J. repandidentata or J. darcyana but the style of J. procumbens can become curved during pressing/mounting. This specimen shows an inflorescence with no fewer than eight flowers per inflorescence. On another photospecimen (Neg. no. 48261 F, NY) I see about 9 flowers per inflorescence. On the photospecimen at WIS (Neg. no. 29719) I see up to 14 flowers per inflorescence. Aída Alvarez (1996, page 98) correctly excluded Saracha alata from Saracha (Systematics of Saracha, Masters Thesis, University of Missouri-Saint Louis). The holotype was annoted by someone as Solanum filiforme Peru (see photo immediately below), but I don't know if this specimen is the type of S. filiforme. |
The above two photographs are the holotype owned by G (Photos by Thomas Mione). |