Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Prostrate. Stoloniferous perennial shrub. 0–0.3 m high. Juvenile stage absent.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets terete, or ridged; brown, or green. Adult branchlets prickles 25–65 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 3–7 mm long; 9–20 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae sparse to moderate to dense; 0.2–0.35 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.5–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Adult leaves elliptical, or ovate; entire, or shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 0 on each side, or 2–4 on each side; lobes acute; lobing index 1–1.4; lamina 5.5–9.5 cm long; lamina 2.8–4.5 cm wide; lamina 1.6–2.3 times longer than broad; apex acute; base cuneate or attenuate, or obtuse; oblique part 0–5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–5 percent. Adult leaves petioles 1–1.7 cm long; 14–29 % length of lamina; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 20–60; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 2–8 mm long; stellate hairs confined to midrib; stellate hair density absent from surface, or very sparse. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, or greenish-white, or white, or yellowish; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 10–30; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density sparse to very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.05–0.25 mm apart; 0.25–0.35 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.2–0.8 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary; sessile (contracted), or cymose (pseudo-racemose); common peduncle absent, or present; common peduncle 0–7 mm long; rachis prickles absent, or present; 2–8-flowered; strongly andromonoecious, or weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 6–20 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.25–0.4 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent, or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate; 1.5–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent, or present; 0–2 per flower; 0.5–1 mm long. Calyx stellae moderate; transparent, or purple; 0.2–0.3 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve, or purple; 8–12 mm long; shallowly lobed; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 4–5 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only. Functional style 6–7.5 mm long; erect; glabrous, or with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence; globular; 15–18 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); placenta sessile, elliptical; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 0.8 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 21–30 mm long; 0.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow; 3.5–4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. North Coast (NC). Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts).
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowering branchlet. • habit.
The interactive key provides access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, and summaries of attributes within groups of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2005 onwards. Solanum species of Eastern Australia. Version: 8th October 2006. http://delta-intkey.com’.
