Arbor, (5–) 10–20 (–30) m × 7–40 cm diametro, truncus aculeis crassis armatus, flores magnae, corollis 5–8.5 cm diametro, stellatis ad rotato-stellatis, fructus ellipticus, glaber, 6–10 cm diametro. Solano sycophantae affinis sed pilis longistipitatis stellatis superficialum foliorum caulium et calycium differt.

Peru: Cajamarca: Provincia San Ignacio, road to El Chaupe north of San Ignacio, 3 km north of town of Marizaua, 5°08'57"S, 79°01'36"W , 1591 m, 17 Dec 2007, S. Stern et al. 178 (holotype: USM!; isotypes: NY!, UT!).

Tree (5–) 10–20 (–30) m × 7–40 cm dbh. Trunk with sharp, stout broad-based prickles, the bark light brown to reddish, thin with shallow fissures; flowering stems often unarmed, nearly glabrous to densely pubescent with stalked reddish-tan multangulate-stellate hairs, the apex 0.7–0.9 mm in diameter, the rays 8–10. Sympodial units difoliate, geminate. Leaves simple, the blades 10–40 (–50) × 7–25 (–30) cm or more, length to width ratio ca. 1.5–1.7:1, elliptical, ovate to lanceolate, chartaceous, discolorous, the fresh and dried leaves dark green adaxially, light green to whitish- or yellowish-green abaxially, the adaxial surface moderately pubescent with simple glandular hairs and stalked porrect-stellate hairs, the stalks 0.5–3 (–5) mm, multiseriate, the rays 4–8, the midpoints 0.1–0.3 mm, eglandular, the abaxial surface densely pubescent with whitish-golden stalked porrect-stellate hairs, the stalks 1–1.5 mm, the rays 4–6, the midpoints ca. 0.5 mm; major veins 6–8 on either side of midvein, unarmed; base cordate to oblique; margin entire to shallowly lobed, the apex of lobes broadly rounded to acute; apex acute to acuminate; petioles 5–6 (–9) cm, densely pubescent with hairs like those of the young stems. Inflorescences 2–10 cm, extra-axillary, branched, with 10+ flowers, the plants strongly andromonoecious, with one to few hermaphroditic flower(s) near the base of the inflorescence and all other flowers functionally staminate, the axes densely stellate-pubescent with hairs like those of the stems, unarmed; peduncle 10–55 mm; rachis 2.5–8 cm; pedicels 8–25 mm in flower and fruit, densely congested, spaced 1–2 (–5) mm apart, articulated at base. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx 10–20 mm long, the tube at anthesis 2–3 mm, the lobes ca. 11 × 4 mm, the apex acute to acuminate, the abaxial surface densely stellate-pubescent with hairs like those of the stems, unarmed; fruiting calyx becoming inflated, knobby and woody, the lobes remaining as thick points, subtending the fruit. Corolla 5–8.5 cm in diameter, stellate to rotate-stellate with moderate interpetalar tissue, lobed for more than half of its length, membranaceous, light purple to violet, the tube 12–20 mm, the lobes 20–35 × 3.5–5 mm, lanceolate, sparsely pubescent adaxially with sessile multangulate stellate hairs, the rays 1–10, densely pubescent abaxially along central portion of lobes with sessile porrect-stellate hairs. Stamens slightly unequal, the filament tube ca. 2.2 mm, the free part of the filaments ca. 2 mm, glabrous; anthers 11–16 × ca. 1.5 mm, tapered, connivent, yellow, the pores directed distally, opening into longitudinal slits at maturity. Ovary slightly pubescent with simple glandular and porrect-stellate hairs, becoming glabrous with age; style in hermaphroditic flowers 16–18 × ca. 1.1 mm, cylindrical, strongly curved at apex, slightly to moderately pubescent at base with hairs similar to those of the ovary; style in staminate flowers 4–4.4 × ca. 0.2 mm, cylindrical, straight at apex, slightly to moderately pubescent at base with hairs similar to those of the ovary; stigma capitate, slightly bilobed. Fruit a berry, 6–10 cm in diameter, ellipsoidal to turbinate, green and juicy at maturity, glabrous, the pericarp thick with sclerified inclusions. Seeds 4–6.5 × 3.5–4 mm, strongly flattened, reniform, reddish brown to light brown, rugose.

Restricted to northern Peru and southern Ecuador in clearings and open places in disturbed, transitional and montane tropical forest, 900–1900 m in elevation.

Flowering specimens were collected in May, and October-December. Fruiting specimens were collected in May, and November-December.

According to the IUCN Red List Categories (IUCN 2010), Solanum pseudosycophanta is classified asVU-B1a+biii; A2c; D1 (Vulnerable). Populations of this species are located near expanding population centers leading to highly fragmented populations. The extent of occupancy is estimated to be less than 20,000 km2, less than 10 locations, and there are estimated to be less than 1,000 mature individuals across its range. There is also a continuing decline in suitable habitat in these regions due to deforestation and the establishment of new settlements.

Peru: Lucuma de oso (Bohs et al. 3784).

Used for firewood (Bohs et al. 3784).

Within Solanum section Crinitum, Solanum pseudosycophanta most closely resembles Solanum sycophanta Dunal. The distribution of these taxa overlaps in Peru and Ecuador; however, Solanum sycophanta is more widespread throughout the Andes, while Solanum pseudosycophanta is restricted to northern Peru and southern Ecuador. These two species have large (4–8 cm) elliptical to round, glabrous fruits, more or less spiny trunks, and predominantly entire leaves at maturity. Solanum pseudosycophanta differs from Solanum sycophanta in having prominent long-stalked stellate hairs on the stem, inflorescence, and adaxial surface of the leaf. In Solanum sycophanta the stems and petioles lack long-stalked stellate hairs, and are glabrous or pubescent with sessile to short-stalked multangulate hairs. The calyx also differs between these two taxa; Solanum pseudosycophanta has calyx lobes with acute apices that cover most of the corolla in bud, while Solanum sycophanta has a calyx with shorter truncate calyx lobes that only partially cover the petals in bud. Furthermore, Solanum pseudosycophanta in fruit has a knobby calyx with thick pointed lobes, whereas Solanum sycophanta has a smaller rounded calyx without the pointed lobes.

The name Solanum pseudosycophanta was chosen because of the similarity of this taxon to Solanum sycophanta.

Ecuador: Zamora Chinchipe: road between El Progreso and Guaramizal, ca. 3 km after turnoff from Vilcabamba-Zumba road at El Progreso, 4°48'23"S, 79°07'26"W , 1430 m, 28 Mar 2005, L. Bohs et al. 3322 (NY, UT); Palanda, región de la Cordillera del Cóndor, parroquia San Francisco de Vergel, riberas del Río Vergel, entre Santa Rosa y La Canela, 04°49'07"S, 79°01'41"W , 1200 m, 6 Mar 2007, W. Quizhpe & A. Wisum 2491 (MO, NY). Peru: Amazonas: Bongará, Shillac, N by trail from Pedro Ruíz, 5°49'S, 78°01'W , 2300 m, 31 Aug – 2 Sep 1983, D.N. Smith & S. Vasquez S. 4890 (MO, NY); Bongará, road from Pedro Ruiz to Moyobamba, 15 km east of Pedro Ruiz just before town of Carrera, 5°52'35"S, 77°55'45"W , 1780 m, 14 Dec 2007, S. Stern et al. 137 (NY, USM, UT); Bongará, Shillac, 1900 m, 8 May 1991, K. Young & M. Eisenberg 417 (MO, NY). Cajamarca: San Ignacio, San Ignacio, El Chaupe, 5°10'50.1"S, 79°03'25.0"W , 1800 m, 10 Oct 2010, F.T. Farruggia et al. 2711 (HAO, MO, NY, PLAT, USM, UT); San Ignacio, San Ignacio, La Mora, 5°05'S, 79°03'W , 1800 m, 6 Feb 1996, J. Campos & O. Díaz 2450 (USM); San Ignacio, Santuario Nacional Tabaconas-Namballe, pampa Limón, zona de amortiguamiento, 5°17'29"S, 79°16'32"W , 1980 m, 23 Nov 1998, C. Diaz et al. 10125 (MO, NY, USM); San Ignacio, San José de Lourdes, Santo Tomás, NE del Marañón RENOM, 04°55'S, 78°50'W , 1950 m, 1 Nov 1995, V. Quipuscoa S. 418 (MO, NY); San Ignacio, Dist. San José de Lourdes, Villa Rica, 4°55'S, 78°50'W , 1750 m, 27 Oct 1995, R. Vasquez et al. 20426 (MO, NY); San Ignacio, San José de Lourdes, Villa Rica, 5°03'42"S, 78°53'32"W , 1550 m, 27 May 2010, L. Bohs et al. 3784 (UT); San Ignacio, San José de Lourdes, Villa Rica, 5°03'39.8"S, 78°53'26.1"W , 1625 m, 11 Oct 2010, F.T. Farruggia et al. 2736 (HAO, MO, NY, PLAT, USM, UT); San Ignacio, San José de Lourdes, Buenos Aires del Parco, 5°04'07"S, 78°32'35"W , 1700 m, 16 Jul 2001, E. Vicuña et al. 465 (USM).