Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Sprawling, or erect. Herbaceous resprouter, or rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.3–1 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets terete, or ridged; rusty, or brown. Adult branchlets prickles 80–130 per decimetre; straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based; 1–9 mm long; 7–11 times longer than wide; with scattered Type 2 hairs on lower half (and finger hairs). Adult branchlets hairs simple, or stellate. Adult branchlets stellae sparse to moderate to dense; 0.4–0.6 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; lateral rays porrect, or ascending; central ray 2–3 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped, or gland-tipped; rigid. Adult branchlets simple hairs erect, straight; not gland-tipped, or gland-tipped; 0.2–0.4 mm long.
Leaves. Adult leaves elliptical, or broadly ovate; shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 3–5 on each side; lobes acute, or obtuse; lobing index 1.2–1.4; lamina 4.7–13.4 cm long; lamina 3.1–10.4 cm wide; lamina 1.2–1.6 times longer than broad; apex obtuse, or acute; base obtuse, or cordate; oblique part 0–10 mm long; obliqueness index 0–7 percent. Adult leaves petioles 2.1–6 cm long; 32–55 % length of lamina; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, or grey-green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 40–76; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 4–10 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae present; stellate hair density very sparse, or sparse. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.6–2.5 mm apart; 0.3–0.5 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 1–4; ascending; central ray 2–6 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped, or gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs erect, straight; moderate to dense; gland-tipped; 0.2–1.2 mm long. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface greenish-white, or white; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 28–48; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density sparse, or moderate. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.3–0.4 mm apart; 0.4–0.5 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 4–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 2–4 times as long as laterals; central ray gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs erect, straight; sparse; gland-tipped; 0.15–0.3 mm long. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence leaf-opposed, or supra-axillary; cymose (pseudo-racemose); common peduncle 25–37 mm long; rachis prickles present; 5–7-flowered; weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous; all similar, or markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 8–15 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.7–0.9 mm thick at mid-point; prickles present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 56–75; 2–5 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 15–25; 2–5 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 3.5–6 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, or attenuate; 3.5–7 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present; 18–75 per flower; 2–5 mm long. Calyx stellae dense; transparent; 0.3–0.6 mm across; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 3–7; central ray 2–4 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs present. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple; 15–20 mm long; campanulate; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 6.2–8.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 9.5 mm long; sigmoid; with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes exceeding mature fruit, or hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit; prickles 2.5–4 mm long. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence; globular; 26 mm diameter. Pedicels at fruiting stage 20–27 mm long; 1.3–1.4 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown to black; 2.8–3.1 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. 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’.