Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.3–0.9 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets brown, or green. Adult branchlets prickles absent, or present; 0–6 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 0.5–5 mm long; 7–10 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs Type 2, or stellate, or absent. Adult branchlets stellae absent, or sparse to moderate; 0.2–0.3 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 4–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.5–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; thready. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs sparse, or dense.
Leaves. Adult leaves narrow lanceolate, or lanceolate; entire; lamina 5–9.5 cm long; lamina 1.1–1.5 cm wide; lamina 4.7–7 times longer than broad; apex acute; base cuneate or attenuate; oblique part 0–2.5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–3 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.9–2.1 cm long; 11–23 % length of lamina; prickles absent, or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only; prickles 0–4; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 3–7 mm long; stellate hairs absent, or confined to midrib; stellate hair density absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs present throughout; 0.1–0.5 mm apart.
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 absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence leaf-opposed; cymose (pseudo-racemose); common peduncle absent, or present; common peduncle 0–7 mm long; rachis prickles absent; 3–8-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 4–5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 9–24 mm long; same thickness throughout, or markedly thicker distally; 0.4–0.7 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate; 2–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent to very sparse to sparse; white; 0.15–0.3 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–8; central ray 0–1 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs present. Corolla purple; 7–11 mm long; shallowly lobed, or deeply lobed; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3–5 mm long. Ovary glabrous, or with Type 2 hairs only. Functional style 5.5–7 mm long; erect; glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence; globular; 8–11 mm diameter; red; 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); placenta not apparent; mesocarp juicy, succulent; exocarp 0.4–0.5 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 18–24 mm long; 0.6–0.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow; 3–3.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Burnett. Lancewood communities (dominated by Acacia catenulata, shirleyi, burrowii, etc.).
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers.
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’.
