Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 2.5–4 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets ridged; brown, or green. Adult branchlets prickles 10–140 per decimetre; straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based; 4–10 mm long; 5–11 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae sparse to moderate; 0.15–0.25 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 5–7; lateral rays porrect; central ray absent, or present; central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Adult leaves elliptical, or ovate; shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 3–5 on each side; lobes acute; lobing index 1.1–1.4; lamina 13–21 cm long; lamina 6.5–10 cm wide; lamina 1.9–2.4 times longer than broad; apex acute; base obtuse, or cordate; oblique part 2–6 mm long; obliqueness index 1–3 percent. Adult leaves petioles 1.6–3.5 cm long; 11–18 % length of lamina; prickles absent, or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 50–90; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 4–8 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density very sparse to sparse. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.4–3 mm apart; 0.2–0.3 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–9; porrect; central ray 0.2–0.7 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 green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 5–20; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density moderate. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.3–0.8 mm apart; 0.2–0.3 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–9; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0–0.5 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 1–22 mm long; rachis prickles absent; 9–14-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5(–6)-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–13 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.5–0.7 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent, or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 3.5–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate; 1.5–7 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent, or present; 0–11 per flower; 3–6 mm long. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse to moderate; transparent; 0.2–0.3 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 0.3–1 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs present. Corolla white, or mauve; 12–17 mm long; shallowly lobed, or deeply lobed; inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers c. 5.8 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only. Functional style c. 10 mm long; erect; with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles 4–8 mm long. Mature fruits 1–8 per inflorescence; globular; 14–22 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 2-locular; placenta stalked, anvil-shaped; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 1–1.4 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 16–23 mm long; 0.9–1.2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds white, or pale yellow; 2–2.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. South Kennedy. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts).
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • branchlet. • type 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’.
