Solanum plastisexum, an enigmatic new bush tomato from the Australian Monsoon Tropics exhibiting breeding system fluidity

Le résumé fourni par la source

A bush tomato that has evaded classification by solanologists for decades has been identified and is described as a new species belonging to the Australian “Solanumdioicumgroup” of the Ord Victoria Plain biogeographic region in the monsoon tropics of the Northern Territory. Although now recognised to be andromonoecious,S.plastisexumMartine & McDonnell,sp. nov.exhibits multiple reproductive phenotypes, with solitary perfect flowers, a few staminate flowers or with cymes composed of a basal hermaphrodite and an extended rachis of several to many staminate flowers. When in fruit, the distal rachis may abcise and drop. A member of SolanumsubgenusLeptostemonum,Solanumplastisexumis allied to theS.eburneumSymon species group. Morphometric analyses presented here reveal thatS.plastisexumdiffers statistically from all of its closest relatives includingS.eburneum,S.diversiflorumF. Meull.,S.jobsoniiMartine, J.Cantley & L.M.Lacey,S.succosumA.R.Bean & Albr. andS.watneyiMartine & Frawley in both reproductive and vegetative characters. We present evidence supporting the recognition ofS.plastisexumas a distinctive entity, a description of the species, representative photographs, a map showing the distribution of members of theS.eburneumspecies group and a key to the andromonoeciousSolanumspecies of the Northern Territory of Australia. This new species is apparently labile in its reproductive expression, lending to its epithet, and is a model for the sort of sexual fluidity that is present throughout the plant kingdom.

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