Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Prostrate, or sprawling. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.2–0.4 m high. Juvenile stage absent.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets grey, or brown. Adult branchlets prickles 5–35 per decimetre; straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based; 0.5–5 mm long; 5–9 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae sparse to moderate; 0.25–0.3 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 8–9; lateral rays porrect; central ray absent. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves elliptical, or ovate; deeply lobed throughout; lobes 3–5 on each side; lobes obtuse; lobing index 5–12; lamina 2.5–6.5 cm long; lamina 1.3–3.5 cm wide; lamina 1.8–2.2 times longer than broad; apex obtuse; base cuneate or attenuate, or obtuse; oblique part 0–2 mm long; obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.9–3.2 cm long; 35–55 % length of lamina; winged; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 35–50; prickles straight, broad-based; prickles 1–4 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density very sparse. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.4–1.3 mm apart; 0.2–0.3 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–10; 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 present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 6–20; prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.05–0.1 mm apart; 0.3–0.4 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 8–9; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0–0.4 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 26–46 mm long; rachis prickles present; 5–7-flowered; weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–18 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.4–0.8 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent, or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate; 1–2 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present; 15–25 per flower; 0.5–3 mm long. Calyx stellae moderate to dense; white; 0.2–0.3 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 0–0.4 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve, or purple; 8–10 mm long; rotate; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–4.5 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 5–7.5 mm long; erect; with stellate and Type 2 hairs; stellae 0.25–0.35 mm across; stellae lateral rays 4–8; stellae central ray 0–0.4 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles 1–3 mm long. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence; globular, or ellipsoidal or ovoid; 12–15 mm diameter. Pedicels at fruiting stage 14–21 mm long; 0.9–1.1 mm thick at mid-point.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. Maranoa. North western Plains (NWP), North far western Plains (NFWP), South Far Western Plains (SFWP). Grassland or open woodland on cracking clays.
Miscellaneous. Common name: Lagoon 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’.