Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.3–0.6 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets terete, or ridged; white, or grey. Adult branchlets prickles absent, or present; 0–30 per decimetre; straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based; 0.5–1.5 mm long; 6–10 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense; 0.4–0.5 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 15–18; lateral rays porrect; central ray absent, or present; central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; thready.
Leaves. Adult leaves narrow lanceolate, or lanceolate; entire, or shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 0 on each side, or 3–6 on each side; lobes obtuse; lobing index 1–1.1; lamina 3–6.5 cm long; lamina 0.8–1.4 cm wide; lamina 3.9–5.2 times longer than broad; apex acute; base cuneate or attenuate; oblique part 0–3 mm long; obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.4–1.3 cm long; 13–25 % length of lamina; prickles absent, or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, or grey; prickles absent; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density dense to very dense. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.05–0.2 mm apart; 0.4–0.5 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 10–15; porrect; central ray 0–0.5 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; prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae c. 0.05 mm apart; 0.3–0.6 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.2 mm long; lateral rays 13–16; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.2–0.6 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 6–21 mm long; rachis prickles absent; 4–8-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–14 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.7–0.9 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent, or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate; 3–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent, or present; 0–35 per flower; 1–2.5 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense; white; 0.4–0.5 mm across; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 13–20; central ray 0.1–1 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve, or purple; 12–14 mm long; shallowly lobed, or deeply lobed; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 7–9 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 11–13 mm long; erect; glabrous, or with stellate hairs only; stellae 0.6–0.7 mm across; stellae lateral rays 11–14; stellae central ray 0.4–1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes more than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent, or present; prickles 1–2.5 mm long. Mature fruits 2–5 per inflorescence; globular; 13–15 mm diameter; yellow, or yellowish-green; with a few scattered stellate hairs; mesocarp moist but not juicy. Pedicels at fruiting stage 16–27 mm long; 1.2–1.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown to black; 2.9–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. Moreton, Darling Downs, Burnett. North Coast (NC), North-western slopes (NWS), Central western slopes (CWS), South western slopes (SWS), North western Plains (NWP), South western Plains (SWP).
Miscellaneous. Naturalised. Common name: Silver-leaf Nightshade. Data source: specimens.
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’.