Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.4–1.1 m high. Juvenile branchlets with 35–50 prickles per dm. Juvenile branchlets prickles 3–6 mm long. Juvenile leaves linear-hastate; shallowly-lobed throughout, or deeply lobed throughout; with 1–2 pairs of lobes; lamina 2.5–4.5 cm long; lamina 0.5–1.3 cm wide; with 9–16 prickles on upper surface.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets grey, or brown, or green. Adult branchlets prickles 15–30 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 5–9 mm long; 13–18 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs Type 2, or stellate. Adult branchlets stellae sparse to moderate; 0.25–0.5 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–7; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs sparse.
Leaves. Adult leaves narrow lanceolate, or lanceolate; entire, or shallowly lobed throughout, or with basal lobes only; lobes 0–2 on each side; lobes obtuse; lobing index 1–1.2; lamina 1.5–4.5 cm long; lamina 0.3–0.8 cm wide; lamina 4.5–7.5 times longer than broad; apex obtuse, or acute; base cuneate or attenuate, or hastate; oblique part 0–2.5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.3–0.6 cm long; 8–16 % length of lamina; prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles present on midvein only; prickles 2–6; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 4–6 mm long; stellate hairs confined to midrib, or distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density very sparse to sparse. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.8–2.5 mm apart; 0.35–0.5 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–7; porrect; central ray 1.5–3 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 absent, or present on midvein only; prickles 0–3; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density very sparse to moderate. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.3–2 mm apart; 0.3–0.7 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 1.5–3 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, or present; 1–3-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 8–18 mm long; same thickness throughout; c. 0.3 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent, or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate; 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse to moderate; transparent; 0.2–0.4 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; central ray 0.8–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve; 6–8 mm long; deeply lobed; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3–4.5 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only. Functional style 4–6 mm long; erect; with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence; globular; 4–6.5 mm diameter; red; glabrous, or with a few scattered Type 2 hairs; 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); placenta not apparent; mesocarp juicy, succulent; exocarp 0.2–0.3 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 14–24 mm long; 0.5–0.6 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow; 1.6–2.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Darling Downs, Burnett, Leichhardt. Semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah, lancewood communities (dominated by Acacia catenulata, shirleyi, burrowii, etc.).
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • leaves and fruit.
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’.
