Solanum conocarpum Dunal ex Poir.

Solanum conocarpum, commonly known as marron bacoba, is a vascular plant species in the family Solanaceae^[1] found in the US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands.

Description

Solanum conocarpum is a thornless and flowering plant. It is a perennial shrub^[2] that is endemic to the Virgin Islands. For some time, the species was considered endemic to U.S. Virgin Islands Dry Forest on the island of St. John. However, recent work in 2018 discovered a small population on neighboring Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. Despite this range extension, the species has a low number of reproductive adults and low recruitment: it remains listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.^[3]

Solanum conocarpum can reach up to nine feet high and is found in dry, deciduous forests. This shrub grows up to about 3 meters with a grey-colored bark, elliptical shaped leaves about 2 cm long and with an orange midrib, and lavender-colored flowers. Individuals are dioecious, each only having flowers of one sex. Flowering is typically induced by rain events.

References

Solanum conocarpum es una especie de planta fanerógama perteneciente a la familia de las solanáceas. Es originaria de los Estados Unidos.

Taxonomía

Solanum conocarpum fue descrita por Michel Félix Dunal y publicado en Encyclopédie Méthodique. Botanique ... Supplément 3: 748. 1814.^[1]​^[2]​

Etimología

Solanum: nombre genérico que deriva del vocablo Latíno equivalente al Griego στρνχνος (strychnos) para designar el Solanum nigrum (la "Hierba mora") —y probablemente otras especies del género, incluida la berenjena^[3]​— , ya empleado por Plinio el Viejo en su Historia naturalis (21, 177 y 27, 132) y, antes, por Aulus Cornelius Celsus en De Re Medica (II, 33).^[4]​ Podría ser relacionado con el Latín sol. -is, "el sol", debido a que la planta sería propia de sitios algo soleados.^[5]​

conocarpum: epíteto latino que significa "el fruto en forma de cono".^[6]​

Referencias