The Systematics of Solanum Section Allophyllum (Solanaceae)

species of Solanum are included in a new section, Solanum sect.have been previously known; the third, 5. Allophyllum.Two of the species, S. dp is described as new.i -3-leaved sympodial units, simple leaves with decurrent bases, and tapered anthers, is unique to this group and de not agree well with any existing subgenus of Solanum.A group of three species first attracted my attention during monographic work on the solanaceous genus Cyphomandra Sendtn.Solanum allophyllum (Miers) Standl., the most widespread and best-known species of the section, had been placed by various workers in Cyphomandra and in Solanum.Determination of the true affinities of this species entailed an examination of the validity of the characters separating the two genera.Ап account of the morphology of this species and its resultant exclusion from Cyphomandra is given in a separate paper (Bohs, 1989).Bitter (1914) first noted the similarities between S. allophyllum (his S. ellipsoideibaccatum Bitter) and S. mapiriense Bitter (his 5. phytolaccoides (Rusby) Bitter), but he did not create a forma taxonomic category to include them.Child (1984) erected sect.Allophylla to contain these two species and regarded the new section as belonging to Cyphomandra rather than to Solanum.He also surmised that Cyphomandra chlorantha Rusby belonged to sect.Allophylla, but Bohs (1986) confirmed that it belongs in Cyphomandra and that it has no close relationship to S. allophyllum or S. mapiriense.A recent analysis of S. allophyllum (Bohs, 1989) indicates that this species should be placed in Solanum instead of Cyphomandra.Accordingly, sect.Allophylla is here removed from Cyphomandra and placed in Solanum.All three species of Solanum sect.