Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Sprawling, or erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.1–0.4 m high. Juvenile branchlets with c. 30 prickles per dm. Juvenile branchlets prickles 6–12 mm long. Juvenile leaves elliptical; entire; lamina 1.2–3.4 cm long; lamina 0.6–1.5 cm wide; with 0–2 prickles on upper surface.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets white, or grey, or brown. Adult branchlets prickles 15–50 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 7–10 mm long; 11–14 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense; 0.15–0.3 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 10–15; lateral rays porrect; central ray absent, or present; central ray 0–0.3 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Adult leaves elliptical, or ovate; entire; lamina 0.5–1.5 cm long; lamina 0.3–0.7 cm wide; lamina 1.7–2.5 times longer than broad; apex obtuse; base cuneate or attenuate; oblique part 0–0.3 mm long; obliqueness index 0–3 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.1–0.3 cm long; 18–35 % length of lamina; winged; prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, or grey-green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only; prickles 0–2; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 2–7 mm long; stellate hairs confined to midrib, or distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density very sparse to dense. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.3–0.6 mm apart; 0.15–0.25 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 8–10; porrect; central ray 0–0.2 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 greenish-white, or white, or yellowish; prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density sparse to dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.1–0.4 mm apart; 0.15–0.3 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 8–16; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0–0.1 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 leaf-opposed; solitary, or sessile (contracted), or cymose (pseudo-racemose); common peduncle absent, or present; common peduncle 0–1 mm long; rachis prickles absent; 1–2-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–15 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.5–0.8 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate; 1–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse to dense; white; 0.2–0.3 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 8–12; central ray 0–0.3 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve, or purple; 7–10 mm long; deeply lobed; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 4–5 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only. Functional style 6–6.5 mm long; erect; glabrous, or with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence; globular; 12–14 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 2-locular; placenta sessile, semi-circular; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 1.2–1.8 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 6–15 mm long; 0.6–0.9 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, or brown to black; 2.9–3.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Leichhardt. Semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah.
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • fruit. • flowering branches. • flowers.
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’.
