Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Prostrate. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.1–0.3 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets yellow, or rusty, or brown. Adult branchlets prickles 200–660 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 1–8 mm long; 10–20 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense; 0.6–0.8 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.8 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.8–1.8 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; thready.
Leaves. Adult leaves ovate, or broadly ovate; entire, or shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 0 on each side, or 3–4 on each side; lobes obtuse; lobing index 1–1.1; lamina 3.5–9.5 cm long; lamina 2–5.5 cm wide; lamina 1.6–2.1 times longer than broad; apex acute; base obtuse, or cordate; oblique part 0–3.5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–9 percent. Adult leaves petioles 1.1–5 cm long; 25–55 % length of lamina; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 0–12; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 3–5 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density moderate density to dense. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.1–0.4 mm apart; 0.4–0.8 mm across; stalks 0–0.2 mm long; lateral rays 7–9; porrect; central ray 1–1.5 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 white, or yellowish; prickles absent, or present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 0–9; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density dense to very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.05–0.1 mm apart; 0.6–0.9 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.2 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 1–1.5 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); common peduncle 25–38 mm long; rachis prickles present; 2–5-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–9 mm long; same thickness throughout, or markedly thicker distally; 1–1.2 mm thick at mid-point; prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–6 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis rostrate, or attenuate; 3–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present; 60–300 per flower; 1–3 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense; yellow, or brown or rusty; 0.7–0.9 mm across; stalks 0–1.1 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 1–1.8 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve, or purple; 9–14 mm long; rotate; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 4.5–6 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 7–7.5 mm long; erect; glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit; prickles 1–8 mm long. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence; oblate; 15–20 mm diameter; 4-locular; placenta stalked, anvil-shaped; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 2–2.3 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 10–18 mm long; 1–1.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown to black; 2–2.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Burke. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • long-stalked stellate hair.
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’.
