Solanum pimpinellifolium L., Solanaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium (L.) Mill.; Lycopersicon racemigerum Lange

Common name(s): [more details]

English: currant tomato

Spanish: tomate cimarrón

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual or biennial herbs, undergoing secondary growth at the base; branches extremely slender and vining, extending up to 3m from centre. Stem erect initially, later procumbent or decumbent, sparsely pubescent or nearly glabrous; trichomes of two types, the longer sparse to extremely sparse and occasionally absent, to 2.2 mm, simple, uniseriate, to 6-celled, amongst sparse shorter, unicellular non-glandular and glandular trichomes, the glands usually multicellular, the plant with a citrus scent. Sympodial units trifoliate. Internodes 1.5- 6.5 (-7.5) cm. Leaves interrupted imparipinnate, 5-20 x 2.5-15 cm, sparsely pubescent like the stems on both surfaces, less pubescent adaxially, dark green, often with purplish cast abaxially; primary leaflets 2-3 pairs, opposite, subopposite or alternate, 3-7x1-4 cm, ovate, the base asymmetric, cuneate to cordate, the margins entire or irregularly lobed mainly near the base; terminal primary leaflet usually larger than the laterals, approximately equal in length to the leaf axis; secondary leaflets fewer than 6, often absent; tertiary leaflets absent; interjected leaflets usually present, 2-12 (-15), subopposite or alternate, short-petiolate; rachis 2.0-15 cm. Petiole 0.4-3.0 (-5.5) cm, glabrous or with a few uniseriate trichomes; pseudostipules absent. Inflorescences simple, very rarely once-branched, elongate, to 9 cm, 5-6-flowered, shorter than the stems and growing leaves, bract and bracteole-like leaflets absent; peduncle 1-2.5 cm; rachis glabrous to sparsely pubescent like the stems; pedicels 0.7-1.5 cm, articulate in the lower half, with small glandular trichomes. Calyx 0.4-1.0 cm in diameter, pubescent with long and short, simple, uniseriate trichomes; tube less than 0.5 mm; lobes to 5 mm, linear, the apex acute. Corolla 1.6-3 cm in diameter, bright yellow; tube minute, the corolla often divided almost to the base; lobes 0.7-1.2 x 0.2-0.5 cm, four times as long as wide, narrowly lanceolate, strongly reflexed at anthesis. Staminal column 6-8 mm, narrowly coneshaped; filaments 1-2.5 mm; anthers 3.5-5 mm, the sterile tip approximately half the total anther length. Ovary conical, minutely glandular-villous; style 7-10 mm, usually exerted from the staminal column; stigma minute. Fruits (0.8-) 1.1-1.6 cm in diameter, globose and 2-locular, glabrescent and becoming bright red at maturity; calyx lobes in fruit accrescent, 0.6-1.3 x 0.15-0.25 cm, strongly reflexed. Seeds (15-) 50 (-80) per fruit, c. 2-3 x 1-1.5 mm, beaked; testa appearing hairy over entire surface and winged with the elongate lateral cell walls; dry seed weight c. 1 mg" (Darwin et al., 2003).

Habitat/ecology:  In the Galápagos Islands, mostly in disturbed areas (Darwin et al., 1999).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Peru and Ecuador (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1259).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Comments:  Of particular concern in the Galápagos Islands due to possible hybridization with native Solanaceae.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Solanum pimpinellifolium, please let us know.