I have already described a few Jaltomato species on February 2018. Now I
am writing about my experiences with growing 4 new species + a few additional
photos of some ones described before.
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Jaltomata viscosa = Schraderanthus viscosus fruits
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Back-serrated
Jaltomato (Jaltomata repandidentata) this is herbaceous perennial something similar
to Common Jaltomato (J. procumbens)
(other in details), distributed from Mexico to Bolivia. It has unequal anthers
and its black fruits have something other taste
(without daylily-like
aftertaste and more acidic) than of the second one. It often grows in natural range on coffee
plantations. It can be easily grown in temperate areas in the same ways as
common tomatoes and is not day-longevity sensitive (easily blooms in summer in
northern areas). As in case
of other Jaltomatos sow the seeds surface.
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| The flowers |
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| Young fruits |
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| The fruits are delicious |
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| Tuberous root |
Bohs Jaltomato,
Small-fruit Jaltomato (Jaltomata bohsiana)
– this herbaceous perennial
native to Mexico is also similar to Common Jaltomato but has smaller fruits and
small purple flowering calyxes, and taste of fruits is something different
(they are sub-acid, delicious). Easy to growing in north temperate areas (as
common tomatoes).
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| The flowers |
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| Young fruits |
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| The flower in first day of blooming |
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| The flower in a second day |
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| Ripe fruits - they are very small, but tasty |
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| Tuberous roots |
Contorted
Jaltomato (Jaltomata contorta) – this species known only from Peru where
grows in such habitats as steeps or rugged places or cliffs. Very similar to
other black berry Jaltomatos, especially J.
repandidentata, but varies from this last by straight filaments and the
anthers uniform in size (J.
repandidentata has sigmoid filaments and exhibits size variation among the
undehisced anthers in a flowers). According me it is very similar to J. procumbens, and I saw that this name
(Jaltomata contorta) is often given
as synonym name to widely treated species J.
procumbens (but they differ mainly by distribution range – because J. procumbens does not grow in Peru).
The fruits have very similar taste to Common Jaltomato (J. procumbens).
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| The plant in flowers |
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| The flower in first day of blooming |
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| The flower in the second day |
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| The ripe fruits |
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| Tuberous roots |
Sticky Red Jaltomato
(Schraderanthus viscosus, syn. Jaltomata viscosa) this is tall herbaceous annual or perennial
herbaceous shrub native to Mexico. This is very characteristic species with
unique combination of features, which is not meet in other relatives so it has
been recently excluded from genus Jaltomata
to monotypic genus Schraderanthus. It creates large, bright red berries, which are
covered by large green calyx first, which becomes yellow and flat, and next
strongly reflexed and red at fruit maturity. These berries are probably
inedible (bitter in taste). Also its greenish-white flowers are quite large.
Whole plant is sticky and glandular pubescent. It needs rather long growing
period and should be sown early (but it is possible to grow it as annual in
northern temperate areas, especially if it is grown in pots taken inside in
autumn, where fruits can easily mature). Needs much of sunlight and well
drained, fertile soil, and is resistant to water-lodging when grown in pots. A
very interesting taxon, hard to find in trading.
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| This is tree-like plant |
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| Young flower |
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| The flowers are quite large |
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| Young fruit |
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| Ripening fruit |
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| The plant in fruits |
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| Fully ripe fruit |
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| Fruits fall down when ripe |
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| The fruits of this species are bitter and inedible |
Jaltomate Negro, Creeping False Holly,Common Jaltomato
(Jaltomata procumbens) - this subtropical herbaceous perennial from USA (Arizona), Mexico,
Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela which I have already
described before. I would like only to add here that the tuberous rootstocks of
this species can be easily stored by winter in cool, frost free place in moist
sand or sphagnum moss and next replanted in spring outside (in April or May,
after last frosts).
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| I grew two forms - one cultivated and one wild |
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| The tuberous roots of cultivated form (2 years old) |
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| The tubers of wild Mexican form (2 years old) |
Green-fruit Jaltomato (Jaltomata tlaxcala) - I also described
before this closest relative to the previous one, and last fall I noticed that
it can be also easily stored by winter as this one. The fruits of this herb are
very delicious (better than Common
Jaltomato) if they ripe in much of sunlight and warm, but if they are ripening
in cool weather in autumn (due to late sowing date before) they are not tasty.
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The tuberous roots
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