Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1.5 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets brown, or green. Adult branchlets prickles 25–50 per decimetre; curved, broad-based; 3–7 mm long; 2–3 times longer than wide; with scattered stellate hairs on lower half. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae dense; 0.7–1 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.2 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.7–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; thready.
Leaves. Adult leaves ovate, or broadly ovate; shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 2–3 on each side; lobes obtuse; lobing index 1.1–1.6; lamina 3.5–8.5 cm long; lamina 2.3–5 cm wide; lamina 1.4–1.8 times longer than broad; apex obtuse, or acute; base cuneate or attenuate, or obtuse; oblique part 0–2 mm long; obliqueness index 0–2 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.8–1.7 cm long; 20–30 % length of lamina; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green; prickles present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 3–11; prickles straight, broad-based; prickles 5–10 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density moderate density to dense. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.3–0.5 mm apart; 0.4–0.7 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–8; porrect; central ray 0.8–1.2 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 green, or greenish-white, or white; prickles present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 5–15; prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.1–0.2 mm apart; 0.5–0.7 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.2 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.8–1.2 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; solitary, or sessile (contracted); common peduncle absent; 1–3-flowered; strongly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous; markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 5–10 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.4–1 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent, or present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 10–30; 2–7 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, or rostrate; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent, or present; 0–30 per flower; 2–7 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense; yellow, or white; 0.6–0.8 mm across; stalks 0–0.2 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple; 9–12 mm long; rotate; inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–5 mm long. Ovary with stellate and Type 2 hairs. Functional style 6.5–7 mm long; erect; with stellate and Type 2 hairs; stellae 0.6–0.7 mm across; stellae lateral rays c. 9; stellae central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles 4–7 mm long. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence; globular; 18–22 mm diameter; yellow; 2-locular; placenta stalked, anvil-shaped; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 1 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 15–20 mm long; 0.8–1.2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, or brown to black; 2–2.6 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Port Curtis.
Miscellaneous. Naturalised. Data source: specimens.
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Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2005 onwards. Solanum species of Eastern Australia. Version: 8th October 2006. http://delta-intkey.com’.