ARS | Publication request: SOLANUM ARCANUM AND S. HUAYLASENSE, TWO NEW WILD TOMATO SPECIES SEGREGATED FROM SOLANUM PERUVIANUM SENSU LATO

Submitted to: Systematic Botany
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: January 10, 2005
Publication Date: May 5, 2005
Citation: Peralta, I.E., Knapp, S., Spooner, D.M. 2005. Solanum arcanum and S. Huaylasense, two new wild tomato species segregated from Solanum Peruvianum Sensu Lato. Systematic Botany.

Interpretive Summary: Wild tomatoes are technically members of the genus Solanum, but prior classifications recognize them in the genus Lycopersicon. They are native to western South America from central Ecuador, through Peru to northern Chile, and in the Galapagos Islands, where two species grow. The wild ancestor of cultivated tomatoes is technically known as S. lycopersicum, and is more widely distributed in Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, and other South American countries. One wild tomato, Solanum peruvianum is the most widespread and diverse of these species. It grows in a variety of habitats from northern Peru to northern Chile, near sea level along the arid Pacific coast to the wet uplands up to 2,500 m in the numerous valleys of the western side of the Andes. We have been studying this species with DNA characters and by its overall appearance. These studies lead us to recognize four species in S. peruvianum, not one. They are technically called Solanum arcanum Peralta and S. huaylasense Peralta (newly described here), Solanum peruvianum L., and S. corneliomulleri J.F. Macbr. This paper describes and illustrates these two new species, and discusses how all four of these can be distinguished from each other. This paper is useful in that it alerts the community of botanists and tomato breeders to the diversity of wild tomatoes of use for biodiversity studies and breeding.

Technical Abstract: Wild tomatoes (Solanum L. sect. Lycopersicon (Mill.) Wettst. subsect. Lycopersicon) are native to western South America from central Ecuador, through Peru to northern Chile, and in the Galapagos Islands, where two endemic species S. cheesmaniae and S. galapagense grow. The putative wild ancestor of cultivated tomatoes, S. lycopersicum, is more widespread and most probably recently distributed into Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, and other South American countries. Solanum peruvianum is the most widespread and polymorphic taxon that grows in a variety of habitats from northern Peru to northern Chile, near sea level along the arid Pacific coast to the mesic uplands up to 2,500 m in the numerous valleys of the western side of the Andes. Our recent morphological and molecular studies lead us to recognize four species for the former S. peruvianum: Solanum arcanum Peralta and S. huaylasense Peralta (newly described here), Solanum peruvianum L., and S. corneliomulleri J.F. Macbr. This paper describes and illustrates these two new species, and constructs a diagnostic key to separate them.