Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1–2.5 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets white, or grey. Adult branchlets prickles absent, or present; 0–5 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 6–10 mm long; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense; 0.25–0.35 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. Adult branchlets simple hairs absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves lanceolate, or elliptical; entire; lamina 4.6–12.5 cm long; lamina 1.5–3.5 cm wide; lamina 2.6–3.6 times longer than broad; apex acute; base cuneate or attenuate; oblique part 0–5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–5 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.8–2.4 cm long; 12–20 % length of lamina; prickles absent, or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density moderate density to dense. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.1–0.2 mm apart; 0.15–0.25 mm across; lateral rays 4–8; central ray 0.5–1 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; prickles absent, or present on midvein only. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.2–0.4 mm diameter; stalks 0.3–0.4 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.5–1 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; 4–7-flowered; strongly andromonoecious, or weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 15–20 mm long; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–4 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; 0.25–0.4 mm across; lateral rays 6–8; 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 purple; 12–16 mm long; rotate. Anthers 5–6.5 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only, or with stellate and Type 2 hairs. Functional style 8–9 mm long; erect; with Type 2 hairs only, or with stellate and Type 2 hairs; stellae lateral rays 9–11.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent, or present. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence; globular; 13–16 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 2-locular; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 0.8–1 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 15–23 mm long. Seeds white, or pale yellow; 2.4–2.8 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. Central Coast (CC), South Coast (SC). Wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, or rainforest margins.
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
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Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2005 onwards. Solanum species of Eastern Australia. Version: 8th October 2006. http://delta-intkey.com’.