Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 2–4 m high. Juvenile leaves ovate; entire; lamina c. 35 cm long; lamina 15 cm wide; with 0 prickles on upper surface.
Branchlets. Adult stems prickles absent. Adult branchlets brown. Adult branchlets prickles absent. Adult branchlets hairs stellate, or absent. Adult branchlets stellae absent, or sparse to moderate; 0.25–0.35 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–9; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.4–0.8 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Adult leaves elliptical, or ovate; entire; lamina 13–23 cm long; lamina 4.3–7.5 cm wide; lamina 2.8–3.1 times longer than broad; apex acute; base cuneate or attenuate; oblique part 0–15 mm long; obliqueness index 0–9 percent. Adult leaves petioles 1–1.8 cm long; 7–10 % length of lamina; prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles absent; stellate hairs absent, or confined to midrib; stellate hair density absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. 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. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary; branched (paniculate to corymbose); common peduncle 5–8 mm long; rachis prickles absent; 15–25-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 4–5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–7 mm long; markedly thicker distally; 0.4–0.7 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate; 0.3–1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse to very dense; yellow, or white; 0.15–0.25 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–9; central ray 0.6–1.2 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve; 7–9 mm long; deeply lobed; inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 7–8 mm long; erect; with stellate hairs only; stellae 0.25–0.3 mm across; stellae lateral rays 8–11; stellae central ray 0.5–0.8 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 3–13 per inflorescence; globular; 8.5 mm diameter; red; 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); mesocarp juicy, succulent. Pedicels at fruiting stage 8–16 mm long; 0.8–1 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow; 2–2.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Cook. Semi-deciduous vine forest on sand, laterite or granite.
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • herbarium specimen.
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’.
