Lycianthes starbuckii
2n=24 (Dean 2004: voucher Dean & Starbuck 315.)
Lycianthes starbuckii occurs in Mexico, endemic to southwestern state of México, Sierra de Nanchititla, on level forest floor, 1945 m. in elevation.
Anguiano-Constante MA, Munguía-Lino G, Ortiz E, Villaseñor JL, Rodríguez A (2018) Riqueza, distribución geográfica y conservación de Lycianthes serie Meizonodontae (Capsiceae, Solanaceae). Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 89(2): 516–529.
Bitter G. 1919. Die Gattung Lycianthes. Abhandlungen herausgegeban vom Naturwissenschaftlichen Verein zu Bremen 24 [preprint]: 292–520.
Dean, E. 2004. A taxonomic revision of Lycianthes series Meizonodontae (Solanaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 145: 393-399.
Dean, E., J. Poore, M. A. Anguiano-Constante, M. H. Nee, T. Starbuck, A. Rodrigues, and M. Conner. 2020. The genus Lycianthes (Solanaceae, Capsiceae) in Mexico and Guatemala. PhytoKeys 168: 1–333.
Common names: chilillo (Dean, 2004).
Lycianthes starbuckii is a rare species of central Mexico, represented by only four collections from the type location, which is not a protected area. The conservation status of L. starbuckii was investigated by Anguiano-Constante et al. (2018), and their preliminary conservation assessment for this species was Endangered.
Lycianthes starbuckii can be distinguished from other species of series Meizonodontae by its combination of prostrate to ascending habit, velutinous stems, thick-chartaceous leaves, lax calyx appendages at anthesis, moderately pubescent corolla lobes, and dark purple fruits with large brown to black seeds. Lycianthes starbuckii is unusual in the L. ciliolata (M.Martens & Galeotti) Bitter complex in its habit and pubescent corolla lobes. In these characteristics, it is much closer to such species as L. moziniana (Dunal) Bitter and L. peduncularis (Schltdl.) Bitter. Lycianthes starbuckii may hybridize with L. rzedowskii E.Dean, which grows in drainage areas near Nanchititla (Dean, 2004).