This group of compounds has been extensively studied in tomato and related species, in which these compounds are produced and secreted from trichomes on the plant leaf and stem surface.
Tanks and absorptive trichomes were later lost secondarily in Brocchinia steyermarkii, a terrestrial species common in wet sandy areas in the Gran Sabana.
The undersides of the leaves are covered in downy hairs known technically as trichomes to which the mold Rhizopus oligosporus can be found adhering to in the wild.
The specific name "cupido" comes from the resemblance of the trichomes to the wings of Cupid, the child god from Greek mythology.