Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1–2 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets grey, or brown. Adult branchlets prickles 20–350 per decimetre; straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based; 1–4 mm long; 5–10 times longer than wide; with scattered Type 2 hairs on lower half, or with scattered stellate hairs on lower half. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae dense; 0.8–1.2 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.5 mm long; lateral rays 8–10; lateral rays ascending, or multiradiate; central ray 0.8–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; thready. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves broadly ovate, or orbicular; shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 3–8 on each side; lobes acute, or obtuse; lobing index 1.1–1.3; lamina 10–35 cm long; lamina 8.5–26 cm wide; lamina 1–1.4 times longer than broad; apex obtuse, or acute; base obtuse, or cordate; oblique part 0–15 mm long; obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Adult leaves petioles 2.7–7.2 cm long; 18–30 % length of lamina; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 0–120; prickles straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based; prickles 2–7 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae present; stellate hair density moderate density to dense. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.2–0.4 mm apart; 0.35–0.5 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–8; ascending, or multiradiate; central ray 4–10 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, or yellowish; prickles absent, or present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 0–60; prickles straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density dense to very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.1–0.3 mm apart; 0.5–0.8 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.4 mm long; lateral rays 8–12; lateral rays ascending, or multiradiate; central ray 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; cymose (pseudo-racemose); common peduncle absent, or present; common peduncle 0–2 mm long; rachis prickles present; 2–10-flowered; weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–9 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.7–1 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate; 2–8 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense; yellow, or white; 0.5–0.8 mm across; stalks 0–1 mm long; lateral rays 6–12; central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla white; 12–18 mm long; deeply lobed; inner surface glabrous, or sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 6–8.5 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style erect; glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence; globular; 25–35 mm diameter; orange; conspicuously stellate hairy; mesocarp moist but not juicy. Pedicels at fruiting stage 10–15 mm long; 0.9–1.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown to black; 2.2–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Cook. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts).
Miscellaneous. 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’.