Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.6–1.8 m high. Juvenile leaves elliptical; shallowly-lobed throughout, or deeply lobed throughout; with 2–3 pairs of lobes; lamina 10 cm long; lamina 3 cm wide.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets grey, or yellow, or rusty. Adult branchlets prickles absent, or present; 0–12 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 3–9 mm long; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense; 0.2–0.4 mm diameter; lateral rays 6–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray absent, or present; central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Adult leaves narrow lanceolate, or lanceolate; entire, or shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 0 on each side, or 2–3 on each side; lobes obtuse; lobing index 1–1.2; lamina 6.5–13 cm long; lamina 1.4–2.9 cm wide; lamina 3.5–9 times longer than broad; apex acute; base cuneate or attenuate; oblique part 0–4 mm long; obliqueness index 0–2 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.7–1.5 cm long; 10–11 % length of lamina; prickles absent, or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, or grey-green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density very sparse to sparse. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.3–0.5 mm apart; 0.15–0.25 mm across; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface yellowish, or rusty; prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.3–0.6 mm diameter; stalks 0.3–0.4 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.5–1.5 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; cymose (pseudo-racemose); rachis prickles absent; 5–8-flowered; strongly andromonoecious, or weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 13–18 mm long; same thickness throughout; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 4–5.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, or attenuate; 2.5–5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent, or present; 0–5 per flower. Calyx stellae dense; transparent, or purple; 0.4–0.5 mm across; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 0.5–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla white, or purple; 11–16 mm long; rotate, or shallowly lobed. Anthers 5–6 mm long. Ovary with stellate and Type 2 hairs. Functional style 8.5–10 mm long; erect; with stellate and Type 2 hairs; stellae lateral rays 10–15.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent, or present. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence; globular; 18–29 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 2-locular; placenta stalked, circular to elliptical, or stalked, anvil-shaped; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 0.8–1.2 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 12–18 mm long. Seeds white, or pale yellow; 2.6–3.1 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. North Coast (NC), Central Coast (CC), Central Tablelands (CT), Central western slopes (CWS). Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
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’.