Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.15–0.3 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets white, or grey, or yellow. Adult branchlets prickles 1–10 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 6–15 mm long; with dense stellate hairs on lower part. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense; central ray 0.1–0.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves ovate, or broadly ovate; entire, or shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 0 on each side, or 2–3 on each side; lobes obtuse; lamina 1.5–3 cm long; lamina 1–2 cm wide; lamina 1.5–2 times longer than broad; apex obtuse; base cuneate or attenuate, or obtuse. Adult leaves petioles 0.3–1 cm long; prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green; prickles absent; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density moderate density. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae central ray 0.1–0.5 times as long as laterals; 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 central ray 0.1–0.5 times as long as laterals; not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary; cymose (pseudo-racemose); rachis prickles absent; 3–12-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–6 mm long; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate; 2–4 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple; 9–15 mm long; rotate. Anthers 3 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only. Functional style 10 mm long; erect.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes exceeding mature fruit, or hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits globular; 7 mm diameter. Pedicels at fruiting stage 10–15 mm long. Seeds brown to black; 4–5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. South western Plains (SWP), South Far Western Plains (SFWP).
Miscellaneous. Data source: Symon 1981, Fl of NSW, 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’.