Upper: pistillate phase when flower first opens Lower: note sepals are reflexed Mione 388	Upper: hermaphroditic phase flower and stems that show raised longitudinal ridges. Lower: fruiting calyx is an upside-down funnel, hiding berry in side view

JALTOMATA "OAXACA" described in my doctoral dissertation (1992) but not published

     Type: MEXICO. OAXACA, along rt. 175, S of Mihuatlan de Porfirio Diaz, ca 20 km N of San Miguel Suchixtepec, at km 131.1 (by posted km signs), 2,390 m, SSP map 1:250,000 (E14-12), Lat 16 13' N, Long 96 32' W, 18 September 1988, D. M. Spooner et al. 4173 (grown as Mione 388) (provisional Holotype: greenhouse-grown specimen from seeds of the type collection, CONN!).  Grown for study in Connecticut (both in greenhouses and outdoors) from field collected seeds of the provisional holotype.  Seeds generously provided by D. M. Spooner.

     Perennial glabrous herb to 2 m.  Stems strongly /markedly angled, four or five sided and with projecting acute-angled longitudinal ridges.  Leaves usually ovate, the apex acuminate.  Inflorescence 2 - 4 (-5) flowered.  Peduncle (flowering) 10 mm long; green; glabrous.  Pedicel (flowering) 8 - 9.5 mm long; green; glabrous.  Calyx glabrous or with less than 10 trichomes; reflexed during the floral-hermaphroditic state.  Corolla distinctly 10-lobed; pale-green; 26 - 34 mm in diameter; lobe radius 10 - 13.5 mm; lobule radius 8 - 10.5 mm; the lobule radius 80 % of length of the lobe radius.  Stamens 6 - 7 mm long.  Filaments pubescent on lower 40 %, the finger hairs to 1.12 mm long.  Anthers (undehisced) 2.2 - 2.8 mm long by 2 - 2.1 mm wide.  Pollen grains 51,000 - 72,000 per androecium, 32.5 - 37.5 µm in diameter.  Style 4.8 mm long.  Stigma overhead view 0.47 by 0.54 mm.  Ovules 61 - 106 per ovary.  Seeds (field collected) 1.69 - 1.8 mm long.

     This species is distinguished by: mature plant glabrous except for lower half of filaments which are pubescent (lower left photo), corolla distinctly 10-lobed (upper right photo), fruiting calyx an inverted funnel hiding the berry in side view (lower right photo), stems having projecting acute-angled longitudinal ridges. Jaltomata procumbens is not glabrous and has angled stems but does not have acute-angled projecting longitudinal ridges at the corners of the stems.

     Habitat: in Pinus Quercus Alnus woods. 

     Additional specimens examined: MEXICO. OAXACA: dist. Teposcolula, km 11 de la carretera Tejupan-Coixtlahuaca, 2,320 m, A. G. Mendoza & D. Lorence 1909 (MO, NY); Boca de Leon Telixtlahuaca, 2,287 m, A. L. Smith 643 (GH); 5 km S of El Punto on hwy 175, 3,000 m, J. & R. Conrad 3120 (MO).

An extensive crossing study showed that this species is intersterile with (reproductively isolated from) other Jaltomata (Mione, 1992)

Literature Cited