Schizanthus pinnatus Ruiz & Pav.

Solanaceae, Jennifer M Edmonds. Oliganthes, Melongena & Monodolichopus, Maria S. Vorontsova & Sandra Knapp. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2012

Type

Type: Chile, t. 17 in Fl. Peruv. et Chil., 1 (1798)!, fide Hepper loc.cit. [NB. There is a possible lectotype specimen, Pavon s.n. in BM!]

Morphology General Habit

Annual or biennial herbs 0.2–1.3 m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems erect, smooth, slender, light green, with single or multiple stems arising from the plant base, sometimes woody basally; vegetative parts viscid-pubescent with long and short spreading hairs, eglandular or glandular

Morphology Leaves

Leaves membranaceous or fleshy, usually pinnatisect, occasionally pinnate or deeply lobed, extremely variable in size from 1.8–5.8(–12) × 0.3–3.8 cm overall, pinnae or segments 0.3–1.2(–2.7) cm × 1–4(–7) mm, usually in 4–9 alternating pairs, linear to ovoid with ± obtuse apices, sessile bases and margins deeply lobed or sinuate, occasionally entire, pubescence denser on veins and lower leaf surfaces, hairs mostly eglandular; petioles absent or to 18 mm long. Inflorescences terminal, many-flowered cymes; flowers zygomorphic, 9–17 mm long; peduncles erect, to 3 cm long; pedicels arising in axil of leaf or small oval bract, erect, occasionally deflexed in fruit, somewhat filiform, 0.7–2.2 cm long in flower, densely viscid, becoming more sparsely pubescent in fruit when 1.8–4.2 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx ± campanulate, 4–9 mm long, calyx lobes ligulate to spatulate with obtuse and sometimes recurved apices, (3.5–)4.5–8 × (0.6–)0.8–2 mm, becoming accrescent around capsules, viscid-pubescent externally

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla usually purple or white but varying from blue, pink, red or yellow in cultivars, often with a yellowish throat, cylindrical basal tube shorter than calyx, 2–3 mm long, flaring above into 5 unequal deeply lobed obtuse segments: one anterior which often speckled or striped, two lateral and two posterior, fused to form a keel, pubescent externally, glabrescent internally, 9–17 × 0.8–2.7 mm diameter

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens subequal with two fertile and three staminodes one of which often minute; filaments free for 3–7 mm; anthers yellowish or purple-tinged, 1.2–2 mm long; staminodes with filaments free for 1–2 mm, white to cream, 0.3–0.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary glabrous, brownish, ovoid, 1.5–2 × 0.6–1.3 mm; style 8–12 mm long, often curved; stigma brownish, 0.2–0.3 mm diameter

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a smooth pale brown capsule, globose to ovoid, (3–)4–6 × (2–)3–5 mm, usually clasped by calyx lobes, often dehiscing apically by two or occasionally by three or four shortish slits

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds brown, subspherical, 0.7–1 mm diameter, ridged around deep pits

Figures

Fig 4/6–8, p 27

Ecology

Cultivated and naturalised (no habitat details); ± 1700 m

Conservation

Widespread; least concern (LC)

Note

This is the most common and variable of the Schizanthus species, with many horticultural forms and varieties being distinguished by stem height and by the flower colour markings. The flowers are mostly bee-pollinated.

Distribution

Flora districts: K4 T3 Range: Native to Chile