JUL 2 4 1984

TIM Library of UM

FIELDIANA .".N 2*1375

Uniwsity of litmus

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Published by Field Museum of Natural History

Volume 36, No. 8 November 15, 1974

The Generic Name
Saracha Ruiz & Pa von (Solanaceae)

JOHNNIE L. GENTRY, JR.

ASSISTANT CURATOR, VASCULAR PLANTS
FIKLD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

In 1794 Ruiz and Pavon established a new genus, Saracha. The
name was accompanied by a description and a good illustration
(fig. 1) both of which match Saracha punctata Ruiz & Pavon, the
first species described in their later account of the genus in 1799
(fig. 2). This species serves as the type species of the genus. The
type species of Saracha is not indicated in Index Nominum Gener-
icorum. Miers (1848) recognized that two genera were included in
the Saracha of Ruiz and Pavon of 1799. He proposed a new genus,
Poecilochroma, for one group but, unfortunately, based it on the
generic type of Saracha, S. punctata, and applied Saracha to the
remaining species. Therefore, the generic name, Poecilochroma
Miers, was nomenclaturally superfluous when published and con-
sequently illegitimate. In 1857 Miers, App. p. 57, re-established
Saracha and reduced Poecilochroma to synonymy. He proposed
nine new combinations at that time. However, he retracted this
action with the reinstatement of the original proposal of 1848 in
the same publication (Miers, 1857, pp. 148-149). This was at the
suggestion of some of his colleagues. This nomenclatural problem
was discussed by Macbride (1930, 1962) and Morton (1938). The
correct generic name that applies to the plants presently known as
Poecilochroma is Saracha. Recently, I (1973) applied the name
Jaltomata Schlechtendal to the group of plants that are typified
by Jaltomata edulis Schlechtendal (=J. procumbens (Cav.) J.L.

US ISSN 0015-0746

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 74-21 1 16

Publication 1195 69

70

FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 36

SARACHA

1ms m

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!•"!<;. 1. Saracha punctate. Modified plate from Florae Peruvianae et
Chilensis Prodromus 31, t. 34. 1794. 1, flower; 2, calyx; 3, expanded corolla
with stamens; 4, stamens; 5, pistil; 6, fruit; 7, cross-section of fruit; 8, seeds.

Gentry). These plants had been known as Saracha Ruiz & Pavon
prior to that time.

Saracha Ruiz & Pavon, Florae Peruvianae et Chilensis Prodromus
31, t. 34. 1794. Samchra Ruiz & Pavon, Prodr. 31. 1794. (Sara-
cha) orth. mut. Dumortier, Anal. Fam. 24. 1829. Sarachaea Ruiz
& Pavon, Prodr. 31. 1794. (Saracha) orth. mut. O. Kuntze, Rev.
Gen. PI. 2: 452. 1891. Type: Saracha punctata Ruiz & Pavon,
Flora Peruviana et Chilensis 2: 42, t. 1 78b. 1799.

Bellinia Roemer & Schultes, Syst. Veg. 4: 56, 687. 1819. Type:
Saracha punctata Ruiz & Pavon.

Diskion Rafinesque, Sylva Tell. 55. 1838. Type: Saracha punctata
Ruiz & Pavon.

Poecilochroma Miers, London J. Bot. 7: 353. 1848. Type: Saracha
punctata Ruiz & Pavon.

REFERENCES

GENTRY. J. I,., JR.

1973. Restoration of the Genus Jaltomata (Solanaceae). Phytologia, 27,
pp. 286-288.

MA< BRIDE, J. F.

1930. Spermatophytes, Mostly Peruvian-II. 3. Peruvian Solanaceae. Field
Mus. Bot., 8, p. 110.

Fu;. 2. Saracha punctata in Flora Peruviana et Chilensis 2: 42, t. 178b.
1799.

71

72 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 36

1962. Solanaceae. In: Flora of Peru. Field Mus. Bot., 13, part V-B, No. 1,
p. 27.

MlKRS. .1.

1848. Contributions to the Botany of South America. London J. Bot., 7,

pp. 353-359.
1857. Illustrations of South American Plants, 2, pp. 14-22; 148-150;

appendix pp. 55-57.

MORTON, 0. V.

1938. Notes on the genus Saracha. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 51, pp. 75-77.

Rriz, H. and .). I 'AVON

1794. Florae Peruvianae et Chilensis Prodromus, 31, t. 34. Facsimile

edition 1965.
1799. Flora Peruviana et Chilensis, 2, p. 42, t. 7786.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA