Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Prostrate, or sprawling. Rhizomatous perennial shrub, or non-rhizomatous perennial shrub, or perennial vine. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult stems prickles absent. Adult branchlets prickles absent. Adult branchlets hairs simple, or absent. Adult branchlets stellae absent. Adult branchlets simple hairs absent, or antrorse, curved, or erect, straight; not gland-tipped. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves ovate, or triangular, or broadly ovate; entire, or with basal lobes only; lobes 0–1 on each side; lamina 4–12 cm long; lamina 2–8 cm wide; apex acute, or acuminate; base obtuse, or cordate. Adult leaves petioles prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles absent; stellate hairs absent; protostellae absent; stellate hair density absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent, or antrorse, curved; sparse, or moderate to dense; not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green; prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent, or antrorse, curved; not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence leaf-opposed; cymose (pseudo-racemose), or branched (paniculate to corymbose); rachis prickles absent; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 5–8 mm long; prickles absent. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical, or deltate; 0.5–1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple; 5–8 mm long; deeply lobed; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 4–5 mm long (anthers connivent). Ovary glabrous. Functional style 5–7 mm long; erect; glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits globular, or ellipsoidal or ovoid; 6–9 mm diameter; red; shiny. Seeds pale yellow; 2–3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Tasmania.
Miscellaneous. Naturalised. Common name: Bittersweet. Data source: Symon 1981.
Illustrations. • flowering stem. • line drawing.
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’.
