Solanum campechiense

Herbs, annual, usually spread­ing, densely armed, to 0.5(–1) m, prickles pale yellow, straight, to 10 mm, sparsely to densely tomentose, hairs nearly sessile to thick-stalked, stellate, 4–9-rayed, central ray equal to or slightly longer than lateral rays. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1–5 cm; blade simple, ovate, 4–13 × 3–12 cm, margins deeply lobed with 2–4 lobes per side, these with additional coarse, acute teeth or shallow lobes, base cordate. Inflorescences extra-axillary, unbranched, 1–3(–6)-flowered, 0.5–2(–5) cm. Pedicels 0.5–1 cm in flower, 1–2 cm in fruit. Flowers radially symmetric; calyx somewhat accrescent and partially covering fruit, densely prickly, 4–6 mm, densely stellate-pubescent, lobes narrowly triangular; corolla white, bluish white, blue, or lilac, rotate-campanulate, 1–1.5 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers narrow and tapered, 2–5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores; ovary glabrous. Berries purplish, greenish, or yellowish, globose, 1.5–2 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. Seeds yellowish brown, flattened, 1.8–3 × 1.4–2 mm, pustulate.

Phenology: Flowering Feb–Dec.
Habitat: Muddy edges of ephemeral lakes and streams, tropical and subtropical dry forest.
Elevation: 0–100 m.

Distribution

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Muddy edges of ephemeral lakes and streams, tropical and subtropical dry forest, Tex., Mexico (Chiapas, Jalisco, Oaxaca, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Yucatán), West Indies, Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras), South America (Ecuador, Peru).

Discussion

In the flora region, Solanum campechiense is found in southernmost Texas. Although D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston (1970) stated that the fruits are cherry-red at maturity, the specimens seen indicate that they turn purplish when ripe.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.