A revision of the “spiny solanums” of Tropical Asia (Solanum, the Leptostemonum Clade, Solanaceae)

The Leptostemonum Clade, or the “spiny solanums”, is the most species-rich monophyletic clade of the large cosmopolitan genus Solanum (Solanaceae) and represents almost half the species diversity of the genus. Species diversity in the clade is highest in the Americas, but significant clusters of endemic taxa occur in the Eastern Hemisphere. We present here a taxonomic revision of the 51 species of spiny solanums occurring in tropical Asia (excluding the island of New Guinea, and the lowlands of Nepal and Bhutan). Three species are described as new: Solanum kachinense X.Aubriot & S.Knapp, sp. nov. from northern Myanmar, S. peikuoense S.S.Ying, sp. nov. from Taiwan, and S. sulawesi X.Aubriot & S.Knapp, sp. nov. from northern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Of the spiny solanums occurring in the region, 38 are native and 13 are introduced from the Americas or Africa, either as adventive weeds or as cultivated plants. Phylogenetic resolution amongst these taxa is still a work in progress, so we have chosen to treat these taxa in a geographical context to aid with identification and further taxon discovery. For the native species we provide complete nomenclatural details for all recognised species and their synonyms, complete descriptions, distributions including maps, common names and uses, and preliminary conservation assessments. For the introduced taxa that have been treated in detail elsewhere we provide details of types, synonyms based on tropical Asian material, general distributions, and common names for the region. We provide lecto- or neotypifications for 67 names; 63 for native and 4 for introduced taxa. All taxa are discussed and compared to similar species; keys are provided for all taxa. We illustrate all native species with herbarium and field photographs and introduced species with field photographs only. All specimens examined for this treatment are included in Suppl. materials 1–3 as searchable files.

Map of herbarium specimens with geographical coordinates of spiny

Tropical Asian species show that the Old World clade of 'spiny solanums' ( Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum pro parte: Solanaceae) is not monophyletic - Aubriot - 2016 - Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society - Wiley Online Library

Morphological trait evolution in Solanum (Solanaceae): Evolutionary lability of key taxonomic characters - Hilgenhof - 2023 - TAXON - Wiley Online Library

Solanum villosumA Flowering habit B Detail of adaxial leaf surface C

Solanum arundo - Wikipedia

Solanum trilobatum L.

Summary of relationships among major clades of Solanum and selected

Morphological trait evolution in Solanum (Solanaceae): Evolutionary lability of key taxonomic characters - Hilgenhof - 2023 - TAXON - Wiley Online Library

Solanum virginianum L.

A revision of the spiny solanums of Tropical Asia (Solanum, the Leptostemonum Clade, Solanaceae). - Abstract - Europe PMC

PDF] A sticky and heavily armed new species of Solanum (Solanumsubg. Leptostemonum, Solanaceae) from eastern Brazil

PDF] Molecular delimitation of clades within New World species of the spiny solanums (Solanum subg. Leptostemonum)

Species New to Science: [Botany • 2020] Solanum hydroides (Solanaceae) • A Prickly Novelty from the Land of the Sugar Loaves, central Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Solanum insanum L. (subgenus Leptostemonum Bitter, Solanaceae), the neglected wild progenitor of eggplant (S. melongena L.): a review of taxonomy, characteristics and uses aimed at its enhancement for improved eggplant breeding