confinis

Jaltomata confinis (C. V. Morton) J. L. Gentry

Guatemala

revised 5 Aug 2016

Link to Jaltomata home page

The information on this page may be cited as a communication with
professor Thomas Mione, Central Connecticut State University, Biology Department, Copernicus Hall, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050-4010 USA

Link to Jaltomata of Arizona, Mexico and Central America

	Flower in pistillate phase. Corolla 16 mm in diameter. Spooner et al. 7045, grown as Mione 322 Photo by Thomas Mione
	Flower in hermaphroditic phase Spooner et al. 7068, grown as Mione 326 Photo by Thomas Mione
	Flower in pistillate phase Corolla 16 mm in diameter Spooner et al. 7045, grown as Mione 322 Photo by Thomas Mione
	Whole plant. The ruler shown is 12 cm long Spooner et al. 7068, grown as Mione 326 Photo by Thomas Mione
	Unripe fruit partially surrounded by calyx Spooner et al. 7068, grown as Mione 326 Photo by Thomas Mione
	Ripe fruit Mione 314 Photo by Thomas Mione August 2002
	Ripe fruits of Jaltomata confinis Mione 326 Plant grown outdoors Note that the calyx is shaped like a shallow bowl Photo by Thomas Mione
	Back (abaxial side) of flower. Note how wide the leaves of this species are relative to their length. Mione 326 The writing below the green "326" would say "ruler = 12 cm" if you could see all of it. Photo by Thomas Mione

All specimens were collected in Guatemala:

Department	locality	altitude m	habitat	date	collectors	Data Entry
Chimaltenango	at Santa Elena, above Tecpam	2500	roadside bank	18 July 1933	A. F. Skutch 447 (US)	TYPE
Huehuetenango	Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, at km 311 Ruta Nacional 9 N, between Paquix and Chemal	3360	on limestone ridge covered with Juniperus standleyi, occasional	2 Aug 1959	J. H. Beaman 2992 (GH)	Aug 2016

Specimens Photographed:

David M. Spooner et al. 7045 (grown in Connecticut, USA, as Mione 322). Guatemala, Chimaltenango: 9 km NW of Tecpán town square to microwave towers, 14 47.1 S, 91 00.8 W, 2,940 m growing among shrubs in moist organic soil in grazed upland plain. 9 October 1995. Specimens at AGUAT, BIGUA, and herbarium of T. Mione.

David M. Spooner et al. 7068 (grown in Connecticut, USA, as Mione 326). Guatemala, Huehuetenango, 6 km E of Huehuetenango to Soloma Road (9N) on road past Huito to Tuinimá, 1 km past Huito, 3,350 m, found growing under shade of tree, in area of mostly logged pine and juniper forests; plants common in area, most non-flowering, 25 October 1995. Unicate in herbarium of T. Mione.

**Table 1. Pollen Quantity Among Collections, plants grown in Connecticut**
Collection		Pollen Quantity	Sample Size	Counted By. Date Counted	Data Entry
Spooner et al. 7045 (grown as Mione 322)	Guatemala, Chimaltenango	68,438	1 flower	Elisabeth dos Santos 2011	July 2011
Spooner et al. 7068 (grown as Mione 326)	Guatemala, Huehuetenango	61,250	1 flower	Elisabeth dos Santos 2011	July 2011

Miscellaneous Notes
Accession 843: The corolla is not rotate when fully open: it is infundibular or crateriform (see photos of 843 in iPhoto album).	This species abundantly sets fruit in the outdoor garden in Connecticut. During the summer of 2002 I grew several accessions, and all abundantly set fruits. Ripe fruits accumulate on the ground below the plant; fruits do not remain attached for more than a day after ripening.

Floral Phenology

Day	2014	Time		Observations on one Tagged Flower. Accession 843. Potted Plant in CCSU greenhouse. No bagging to exclude insect visitors; no floral visitors were seen.
0	28 Sep	11:00 am	flower closed	Considered day zero because flowers have not yet opened for the first time. All but one flower was removed from each inflorescence for tagging.Flower bud looks like it will open tomorrow.
1	29 Sep	8:00 am	pistillate	Cor half way open. Anthers undehisced and filaments very short. I did not look for nectar.
		noon	pistillate	Cor open. Anthers undehisced and filaments very short. I could not see nectar drops.
		5 pm. 7:30 pm	pistillate	Corolla closed.
2	30 Sep	8:30 & 11 am; 2:30 pm	pistillate	Corolla open, anthers undehisced
		5:45 pm		Corolla closed, anthers undehisced.
3	1 Oct	8:00 am	pistillate	Corolla beginning to open but mostly closed. Cloudy out, and I wonder if a brighter morning might trigger faster opening of the cor
		10:30 am	hermaphroditic	Corolla fully open (for this accession, broadly infundibular, not rotate). Stamens angle (proximal to distal) away from the style. Some anthers dehiscing, others not yet. Nectar present. 2 mm from anther to stigma.
		2:30 pm	hermaphroditic	Corolla fully open (for this accession, broadly infundibular, not rotate). Stamens angle (proximal to distal) away from the style. All anthers dehisced. Nectar present. 2 mm from anther to stigma.
4	2 Oct	7:30 am	hermaphroditic	Cor mostly closed.
		11:00 am	hermaphroditic	Corolla fully open (for this accession, broadly infundibular, not rotate). Stamens parallel to style. All anthers dehisced. Nectar present. 2 to 3 mm from anther to stigma.
		1:00	hermaphroditic	Corolla open. Filaments parallel to style.
		4:00 & 6:15 pm		Cor closed
	3 Oct	8:21 & 11:00 am; 3:30 & 6:30 pm		Corolla closed, possibly bringing anthers into contact with stigma. Closed in a way that is hard to describe, the corolla is long and straight, as if to press the stamens inward.
	4 & 5 Oct	1:00, 11:00 am, respectively		Corolla withering in place (not dropping off).
			Summary	Corolla was open for four days. The flower was pistillate the first two days (filaments short, anthers closed). This flower became hermaphroditic on day three, involving rapid filament elongation in the morning and then dehiscence of anthers. Delayed self-pollination?: If ovary expands we can say observations were consistent with self-pollinationthat was caused by the closure of the cor at the end of the flower's life bringing the stamens inward bringing the anthers in contact with the stigma.