Jaltomata lojae Mione
Ecuador & northern Peru
revised 28 July 2016 
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, Connecticut 06050-4010, United States of America
Rhodora 101: 136 - 142. 1999
Link to Jaltomata homepage
Link to chromosome count
Link to the local name(s) of this species
Link to report(s) of fruits of this species being edible
Link to a reported medicinal use
Link to Jaltomata species of Ecuador
Link to Jaltomata species of northern Peru

Figure 1. Branches, inflorescences and leaves. The corolla is pale-green prior to anthesis (to the right of center) but after it opens it becomes white and remains white.   In the flower at the center all anthers have dehisced while in the flower at right some of the anthers have dehisced while others have not. The stigma is green and the style is whitish; the upper half of the ovary is green, and the lower half of the ovary is surrounded by an orange disk, presumably the source of nectar.
This plant was grown from seed of the type collection by Thomas Mione in Connecticut, USA; photo by Thomas Mione.

Figure 2. Flower at left was pressed in Ecuador (type collection) and the flower at right is fresh (not pressed) and was removed from a plant grown from seed of the type collection. The size difference we see between these flowers is almost certainly due to growing conditions, not genetic differences. The plant in Ecuador (at left) was probably competing for nutrients, water and sun while the plant at right was not competing. The units along the left edge are mm. Photo by Thomas Mione in the laboratory of Gregory J. Anderson.

Figure 3. Ripe fruits, leaves, stems (Mione et al. 710, photo by Thomas Mione, original print was scanned for this page).
Figure 4. The white ruler (21 cm long) is resting on Jaltomata lojae and the leaves at the bottom middle of the photo are also J. lojae. Peru, Department Piura, province Huancabamba (Mione et al. 811, photo by Thomas Mione).

 

Floral Biology Of Jaltomata lojae

Observations on floral phenology were made in Connecticut, USA, in May of 1992 and March to May of 1998.   Flowers remain open 5 to 7 days (mean 5.7 days, n = 9 flowers) and close each night.   Within an inflorescence one to four flowers are open at a time.   The corolla is pale-green prior to anthesis but after it opens for the first time it becomes white and remains white.   Anthers dehisced prior to 8:30 am.   The anthers of a flower either dehisce a few at a time over the course of several hours, or two or three of the anthers dehisce one day and the others dehisce the next day.   Some flowers exhibited one day of protogyny with the stigma protruding through the partially open corolla.  

To examine seed set flowers were manually pollinated during the pistillate and hermaphroditic phases; undehisced anthers were removed at the time of pollination. Two out of three flowers manually pollinated during the pistillate phase set seed, as did many (percentage not calculated) of the flowers that were manually pollinated during the hermaphroditic phase.   In the greenhouse plants did not set fruit unless hand-pollinated.   This is likely due to herkogamy: the stigma is located 3 to 8 mm from the anthers.  

Nectar drops at the base of the corolla (alternating with the stamens) were large enough to be observed by eye.   The broad, orange ovary disk (Figure 1) is concentric around the green ovary and increases the diameter of the ovary by 1 to 1.5 mm relative to the diameter the ovary would be without the disk.   Nectar seems to be secreted by the ovarian disk but may also be secreted by the base of the corolla.  

Floral fragrance was evaluated by seven people who were blindfolded and asked to describe the fragrance of an empty jar and then a jar containing flowers.   Jars were uncapped seconds before being placed in close proximity to the nose.   Flowers produce a subtle fragrance that was described as licorice-like, vanilla-like, or faintly sweet by seven people polled (two of these people also detected a fragrance in the empty/control jar) and the authors.
 
To look for structures that may release scent (osmophores), flowers were stained in 0.01% neutral red for several hours and then observed with bright field microscopy (Kearns and Inouye 1993).   The stigma (including papillae) stained darkly with neutral red but the style did not.   Anthers and pollen stained darkly while filaments did not.   Multicellular glands, located on the abaxial face of the corolla and both faces of the calyx, stained darkly except for the stalk cell.   Similar glands have been described on the leaves of Solanum (Seithe 1979) and Physalis (Seithe and Sullivan 1990).   Neither the corolla margin hairs nor the hairs of the filaments absorbed stain.   On the multicellular finger hairs only the glandular tip, when present, absorbed stain.   Hand-sections of epidermal tissue of the ovary disk, stained and then observed with a compound microscope, revealed that the nectary disk absorbs stain only in the immediate vicinity of the stomata.   The guard cells stained deeply, and the cells surrounding the guard cells also absorbed stain but staining was less intense.  

    

Taxonomy

Jaltomata lojae is similar to several species, compared at this link and is distinguished by the following features: finger hairs borne by the leaves and stems; a white, broadly infundibular to rotate corolla; exserted stigma and a broad nectary disk.   Corolla color changes from pale-green to white at anthesis. Flowers are self-compatible, herkogamous, and sometimes protogynous.   Microscopic, densely staining, multicellular glands (Figure 11) are located on the perianth. The following description is based on the holotype, and plants grown from seed of the type collection in the University of Connecticut and Central Connecticut State University greenhouses.  

 

Character Description of Jaltomata lojae Figures on this web page
Habit & Height
Perennial shrub  
Branches, young
branches and leaves densely villous, bearing finger hairs, these sometimes gland-tipped, 0.15 - 6 mm long, becoming less villous with age  
older
to 14 mm diam (Mione et al. 813)  
Leaves, size Leaves alternate, often geminate, to 15 cm long X 6 cm wide  
shape ovate, the margin entire to sinuate-dentate, undulate  
hairs branches and leaves densely villous, bearing finger hairs, these sometimes gland-tipped, 0.15 - 6 mm long, becoming less villous with age  
petiole to 4.5 cm long    
Inflorescence
umbelliform, to 9-flowered    
peduncle
5 - 9 mm long (at flowering) having a dense covering of erect finger hairs to 1.5 mm long, some hairs gland-tipped    
pedicel
8 - 11 mm long (at flowering) having a dense covering of erect finger hairs to 1.5 mm long, some hairs gland-tipped    
Calyx at flowering Calyx light green, 9.5 mm in diameter, strongly reflexed, abaxially villous with gland-tipped finger hairs, forked hairs, and dendritic hairs all 1 - 2 mm long, and abaxially and adaxially with stalked multicellular glands 62 - 80 µm long  
at fruit maturity at fruit maturity calyx diameter to 12 mm.  
Corolla color
white with two green, proximally positioned maculae straddling the radial vein to each corolla lobe  
shape and size
infundibular when partially open, crateriform-rotate when fully open, 25 - 27 mm in diameter on plants I grew, 18 mm in diameter on the holotype measured after pressed/dried  
lobes/lobules
5 prominent lobes alternating with 5 small lobules  
hairs
adaxially glabrous, abaxially with sparsely but evenly distributed stalked multicellular glands 62 - 80 µm long.   Two classes of hairs extend out from the corolla margin: marginal hairs to 110 µm long, and submarginal (attached abaxially) hairs to 0.5 mm long.  
no  
Stamen length
5 mm long  
filaments filaments on living plants angling away from style, and slightly excurved, villous on basal 1/4 of the length with unpigmented finger hairs to 1.2 mm long   
anther color    
anther size anthers 2.1 - 2.5 mm long prior to dehiscing, 1.6 - 1.8 mm long after dehiscing, when corolla is fully open exserted out of corolla 2 mm, otherwise included  
anther mucronate    
anthers of a flower open simultaneously? The anthers of a flower either dehisce a few at a time over the course of several hours, or two or three of the anthers dehisce one day and the others dehisce the next day  
pollen quantity    
pollen grain size

see Table 3 on this page

 
corona no  
Stigma
shallowly bilobed, 0.4 to 0.75 mm wide on pressed specimens, broader than the style, the papillae 30 - 60 µm long    
Style
9 - 11 mm long, slender and straight, exserted 3 - 8 mm beyond the anthers  
Ovary
nectar disk orange    
Ovules per ovary
   
Nectar transparent  
Herkogamy yes, the stigma is located 3 to 8 mm from the anthers  
Protogyny yes  
Fruit color (at maturity) and size
orange   
Seeds per fruit
numerous  
Seed Size
ovate to reniform, 1.3 - 1.6 mm long  
Chromosome number
n = 12 (nine counts) Chromosome counts were made with meiocytes of immature anthers stained with acetic carmine.  
Growability in Connecticut, USA
was easy in greenhouse  
How long does it take from flower to ripe fruit?
no data
 
Self-Compatible?
   
Seed Germination
   
Character Description of Jaltomata lojae Figures on this web page

Type Specimen of Jaltomata lojae
Country Province Locality elevation m habitat date collector Data Entry
 Ecuador Loja by guard station on the E side of Celica
1,950
growing along roadside
2 May 1991
D. M . Spooner, R. Castillo, & L. López 5037 (CONN)
Apr 2009

 

Specimens of Jaltomata lojae examined
(grouped first by country then chronologically ordered)
Country Province
Locality elevation m habitat date collector Data Entry
 Ecuador  Chimborazo Cañon on the río Chanchan, directly above the village of Huigra
1,524 - 2,134
open deforested slope with small patches of scrub in the draws
29-31 May 1945
Camp E-3498 (NY)
Aug 2011
Ecuador Loja   Lugma Huycu 12 km north of Saraguro,
79 15' W, 03 34' S
2,100
no data
19 Jan 1989
Ellemann 66799 (NY)
Aug 2011
 Ecuador Loja   Cerro Sozoranga, Colaisaca-Utuana, km 0.5, 4 19' 14" S, 79 41' 16" W
2,340
hedges
24 Apr 1994
Jørgensen et al. 567 (NY)
Aug 2011
 Ecuador Loja Sevillán, 3 32' 10" S
79 22' 30" W
2,740
potrero
26 Mar 1995
V. Van den Eynden & E. Cueva 342 (NY)
Aug 2011
  Department Province            
Peru
Piura


Huancabamba

Abra de Porculla, entre Olmos y Jaén
2,000 - 2,100
ladera con monte bajo
22 Apr 1964
R. Ferreyra 15667 (K, US)
Aug 2011
Peru Piura Huancabamba 46-48 km E of Olmos on road to Pucara, just W of top of Abra de Porculla
2,000 - 4,070
roadside, lower montane dry forest
10 June 1978
A. Gentry, M. Dillon, et al. 22684 (NY)
Aug 2011
Peru Piura Huancabamba Perculla
2,200
zonas húmedas y arcillosos
2 May 1981
S. Llatas & J. Laes 631 (HUT not seen, MO, NY)
Aug 2011
Peru Piura Huancabamba Carretera entre Canchaque y Huancabamba, km del 16 al 25 desde Canchaque
1,900 - 2,200
no data
17 Apr 1987
C. Díaz S. & S. Baldeón 2395 (MO, NY)
Aug 2011
Peru Piura Huancabamba Highway Olmos to Chamaya
2,080
quebrada
7 June 2005
S. Leiva G., T. Mione, L. Yacher 3339;
Mione, Leiva & Yacher et al. 710
March 2009
Peru Piura Huancabamba road to Huancabamba, 5 22' 00" S, 79, 33' 52" W
2,982
roadside
22 March 2011
S. Leiva G., T. Mione, L. Yacher 5104;
Mione, Leiva & Yacher et al. 811
Aug 2011
Peru Piura Huancabamba 5 21' 26.7 to 29" S,
79, 34' 31 to 31.6" W
1,986
roadside and trailside
22 March 2011
S. Leiva G., T. Mione, L. Yacher 5106;
Mione, Leiva & Yacher et al. 813
Aug 2011


Figure 5. Corolla maculae (green) are visible through the corolla. Mione et al. 710, photo by Thomas Mione
Figure 6. Style is exserted. Plant grown from seed of the type collection by and photo by Thomas Mione.

Figure 7. Comparison of the type collection (right) and a plant grown in Connecticut from seed of the type collection (left). The plant at left was pressed in Connecticut, after being grown from seed of the type collection; the plant at right is the type collection and was pressed in Ecuador. The plant at right was probably competing for nutrients, water and sun while the plant at left was not competing. Plant at left grown by and photo by Thomas Mione in the laboratory of Gregory J. Anderson.

Figure 8. Flower. Note curved filaments, and that anthers have dehisced. Stamens and corolla tissue were removed to allow view of the ovary including the orange disk that surrounds the base of the ovary. The orange disk around the base of the ovary is probably the nectary. The style disappears distally because of poor lighting, but the stigma (green) is showing at the top of the photo. The lilac-colored pigmentation immediately distal to the corolla maculae (green) was not present in the type specimen. Smallest units are mm. Photo by Thomas Mione, Mione et al. 813.
Figure 9. Leaves. Upper side showing of larger leaf on left and the two leaves on the right. Numbered units are cm. Photo by Thomas Mione, Mione et al. 813.
Figure 10. Leaves. Upper side showing of larger leaf on left and the two leaves on the right. Numbered units are cm. Photo by Thomas Mione, Mione et al. 813.
Figure 11. Multicellular gland, about 1/10th of a mm long, located on the abaxial face of the corolla and both faces of the calyx. The multicellular head stains darkly with neutral red while the stalk cell does not.  Illustration by Luis A. Serazo.
Figure 12. Mione et al. 811
Figure 13. Mione et al. 811
Figure 14. Mione et al. 811

Table 3. Pollen Size, J. lojae; Cotton Blue in Lactophenol

Collection

 
Mean Size
(Sample Size)
Range (micrometers)
Only Polar View Measured
1) Grown for study in Connecticut vs.
2) Flower collected in the wild.

Stored in 70% ethanol prior to measured, or
fresh when measured
Date Measured.
Measured By
Data Entry
Mione 560, type collection Ecuador, province Loja
32.5 µm
(n = 22)
 
27.5 - 38.75
not sure
1
yes
1998
Thomas Mione
Apr 2013
Mione et al. 813 Peru, Department Piura, province Huancabamba
25.3 µm
(n = 20)
25.05 - 25.3
yes
2
yes
2013
Emmett P. Varricchio
Apr 2013

 

       LITERATURE CITED

I thank David M. Spooner for seeds of the type collection, and Janet R. Sullivan for review of the manscript that became the protologue.