Solanum acerifolium
Solanum acerifolium is a species of small flowering shrub that belongs to the Solanaceae family, commonly known as the nightshade family. The species description was first published by a French botanist, Michel Félix Dunal in 1816.
Description
Solanum acerifolium is a herbaceous plant that stands upright and is typically found reaching heights between in height, usually growing for a single stem but occasionally multiple coming from the base. Stems are pubescent with viscid-villous hairs and prickles that are straight and acicular. Acicular prickles appear densely armed along all parts of the stem. Prickles are usually 0.1 to 1.5 centimeters in length. Upper flowering branches usually carry fewer prickles and appear more glabrous except for the viscid-villous hairs.Leaves
Leaves on S. acerifolium are around long and wide. Leaves can be single or in pairs. Leaves are broadly ovate or elliptic in shape and are usually 4-lobed with an acute apex. On both surfaces of the leaves are pubescent, and covered in viscid-villous hairs. Both surfaces of the leaves carry prickles along the major veins, similar in size to those found along the stems. The petioles of leaves measure and have a pubescence similar to that of stems.Inflorescence
Inflorescence found on the S. aceriolium is extra-axillary and unbranched measuring. The inflorescence is characterized as a subumbellate raceme. Typically holding 3 to 10 flowers that develop 1 to 8 fruit. The peduncles are pubescent, similar to the stem with few prickles, less than long, and sometimes absent. Peduncles measure from and rachis of the inflorescence measure up to long. The pedicles are in length for the flower and long for the fruit. The distal portion of the pedicles becomes thicker growing towards the fruit.Flowers
Species in the Solanum genus, including Solanum acerifolium, have bisexual, actinomorphic flower. Flowers found on the S. acerifolium have a calyx and corolla part perianth. The calyx is long with deep triangular lobes. The corolla can be found greenish-yellow or brownish-yellow in colour, and are stellate in shape, 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter. The anthers of the flower are long and taper to a point.Fruit
The fruits found on S. acerifolium are shiny and globose with a viscid exterior. The fruit has a green and white marbled pattern and is 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter.Seeds
A single fruit will hold around 60 seeds and are black, and flattened with winged margins. Seeds are in diameter.Reproduction
Pollination
Many species in the Solanum genus including Solanum acerifolium are visited by buzzing bees and undergo buzz-pollination. Buzz-pollination is the mechanical shaking of the flowers' anthers, while in contact with the bodies of buzzing bees.Seed dispersal
Species in the Solanum genus featuring smaller fruit and winged seeds, like S. acerifolium, utilize bird-mediated dispersal as a mechanism of dispersal. A study published in Biota Colombiana studied the relationship between bats and seed dispersal to evaluate the contribution to tropical forest regeneration. The study took place in Breman-La Popa Firest Reserve in Colombia, located on the western slopes of the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, where they observed distinct successional stages such as mature subandean forest, secondary growth with seven years and growth with one year of regeneration. Out of the species examined for seed dispersal, Solanum Acerifolium was among those whose seeds were dispersed by bats significantly more often. Interestingly enough, other Solanum species such as Solanum undullata and Solanum aphydendro were also among that group. In many tropical regions, bats and birds are the predominant dispersers of seeds within and outside tropical forests. Seed collection was done by collecting feces samples from bats and seeds were compared to botanical collections upon analysis. The four bats that were captured for the majority of the study were Sturnira lilium, Artibeus lituratus, Carollia brevicauda and Artibeus jamaicensis.Predation
Although there is minimal literature regarding the defense mechanism of specifically Solanum acerifolium, there is evidence that plants with glandular hairs, also known as trichomes and prickles, act as a defense mechanism against herbivorous predators. There have been many studies regarding the defensive function of prickles, glandular hairs, and spines of plants against mammalian herbivores, but these dermal tissues also defend against Lepidoptera larvae.A forest-edge butterfly, is known to specialize on plants in the family Solanaceae. The most common host plant of Mechanitis menapis is the native Solanum acerifolium specifically in their larval stage. Mechanitis menapis also utilizes S. acerifolium as a host plant for laying eggs. After hatching, larvae start feeding on the epidermis of the plant.