Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1.5 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets white, or grey. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense.
Leaves. Adult leaves ovate, or broadly ovate; shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 3–5 on each side; lobes obtuse; lamina 9–13 cm long; lamina 7–11 cm wide; apex obtuse; base obtuse, or cordate. Adult leaves petioles 1.5–2.5 cm long; prickles absent, or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green; prickles present on midvein only, or present on midvein and lateral veins; stellate hairs distributed throughout; stellate hair density very sparse to moderate density. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface white. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 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; 2–10-flowered; strongly andromonoecious, or weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5–6-merous; markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 20–25 mm long. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 40–60. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0–15. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent, or present; 0–60 per flower. Calyx stellae very dense; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla white, or mauve; 15–20 mm long; rotate; inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy, or densely stellate-hairy. Anthers 6–7 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 10 mm long; erect; with stellate hairs only.
Fruits. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence; globular; 30–40 mm diameter; yellow, or yellowish-green. Pedicels at fruiting stage 25 mm long. Seeds pale yellow, or brown to black; 2–2.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Victoria, Tasmania.
Miscellaneous. Naturalised. Data source: Symon 1981 & Fl of Vic.
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’.