Solanum Verbascifolium L., Misidentification and Misapplication

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Taxonomy (IAPT) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Taxon. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 185.44.78.31 on Tue, 17 Jun 2014 12:01:26 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Nadeaud (Journ. de Bot. 2: 116, 1897) speaks of a "variete Violette" with purple stems and bases of leaves, as being plentiful. In several other species, a similar coloration is known, which, though variable, does not signify any taxonomic difference; in, for instance, F. valida Ridl. To conclude, it is clear that should a second species of Freycinetia exist in Tahiti, it cannot be called F. demissa, F. victoriperrea, or of course F. impavida. If it is unknown from other regions and has not received a name, it is entitled to a new one. International Association for PlantThe few specimens of Freycinetia impavida which I have seen may briefly be characterized as follows:Leaves about 87 cm long and 3.4 cm broad, entire for most of their length, the margins minutely denticulate only toward the apex; apex acute-acuminate subulate; costa entire proximally, but distally on the dorsal side minutely denticulate to the apex; auricles entire, adnate, about 2-3 cm long, deciduous; inflorescence terminal, ternate, the syncarps cylindric, about 4 cm long and 1.5 cm thick, on peduncles 4 cm long and 3-4 cm thick, these densely setulose on the upper angles and, just below the syncarp, all around; berries (immature) about 3 X 1 mm, apically truncate, crowded, with mostly 4-6 stigmas. The latter specimen is sterile; its leaves measure about 55 cm long, 2.7 cm wide. The seeds in the former specimen are too immature to reveal any reliable characters. Setchell and Parks state that the pistillate spikes are dark green. In another specimen they collected material of the flowering bracts, described as "light lemon yellow" with outer bracts only basally yellow; and with lemon yellow fruits.The specimens collected by MacDaniels in 1927, cited by Forest Brown as F. demissa (cited above in synonymy) have fruits somewhat more mature, and therefore slightly larger; pedicels 5-6 cm long, 5 mm thick, syncarps 7-9 cm long, somewhat ovate in outline. These are clearly conspecific with the Setchell & Parks and U.S.E.E. specimens already cited. SummaryThe common unarmed pantropical species of Solanum traditionally known as S. verbascifolium L. must be called S. erianthum D. Don. The Linnaean type specimen of S. verbascifolium is no 248.1 of the Linnaean herbarium (LINN) and belongs to the prickly subgenus Leptostemonum.

Evaluation of Phylogenetic Relationships of Some Medicinally Important Species of Solanum Based on Seed Protein Profile of SDS-PAGE

“…These two species show 25% similarity (Table 3) in their seed protein profiles and have been placed within same cluster UC2 and get separated 40% from each other on dendrogram (Figure 2). S. erianthum is medicinally important plant, contains steroidal saponins and free genins as well as steroidal alkaloids of the spirosolane group [34]. This species has quite morphological resemblance with S. indicum.…”

The typification of the names of New World Solanum species described by Linnaeus

“…Plumier's illustration of Solanum tomentosum, folio verbasci, parvo fructujavescente published by Burman ( 1760) was used incorrectly as the type of the Linnaean epithet verbasczfolium by many authors (Urban, 1920). This illustration is of Solanum erianthum D. Don (Roe, 1968). In fact, Linnaeus ( 1753) cited Plumier's ( 1703) polynomial Solanum arborescens, verbasci folio (frutescente Javescente majori) in synonymy with his S. verbascifolium, not the aforementioned, subsequently illustrated polynomial.…”

Proposals to Conserve or Reject

“…Plants of this section of Solanum are woody, have broad anthers with large pores, stellate hairs, entire leaves, and they lack spines. Following correspondence with William T. Stearn of the British Museum (N.H.), Roe (1968) designated a type (LINN 248.1) for the species, and he discovered that this type specimen, because of its long attenuate anthers and other characters, does not belong in sect. Brevantherum or even in subg, Solanum but rather in subg.…”