Solanum hydroides (Solanaceae): a prickly novelty from the land of the sugar loaves, central Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract

Solanum hydroides Gouvêa & Giacomin, sp. nov., is described from central Brazilian Atlantic Forest. It is known from only three localities in Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais states, where granitic/gneissic outcrops (inselbergs or sugar loaves) are ubiquitous. The new species, here described, belongs to Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum (or the Leptostemonum clade; i.e. the spiny solanums) and is morphologically related to S. hexandrum Vell. and S. sublentum Hiern, with which it shares the shrubby habit, decurrent leaf bases and well-developed calyces that become accrescent, covering glabrous fruits. Solanum hydroides is unique in its combination of comparatively more delicate habit, indumentum of exclusively stellate eglandular trichomes, accrescent but never inflated fruiting calyces that only partially cover the fruits and comparatively shortly lobed and strictly white corollas. The species is threatened with extinction and assessed as Vulnerable (VU), based on the IUCN criteria.

An overview on studies of species complexes in Solanaceae

“…It is not only the most diverse genus of Solanaceae, but also ranks as one of the most diverse genera among all flowering plants (Frodin 2004) influenced, in part, by earlier revisions that included species then considered in other genera (e.g., Cyphomandra Sendtn., Lycopersicon Mill.) (Spooner et al 1993;Bohs 1995;Peralta & Spooner 2000) and the constant rate of new species descriptions (e.g., Gouvêa et al 2019;Gouvêa et al 2020;. Despite the recognition of many synonyms in some sections (e.g., Solanum section Petota), the number of non-resolved species complexes is still considerable (Miller & Spooner 1999).…”