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 unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets grey, or yellow, or brown, or green. Adult branchlets prickles present; 140–320 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 1–6 mm long; 13–20 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae sparse to moderate to dense; 0.3–0.45 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 5–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.3–0.7 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; rigid. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves broadly ovate, or orbicular; entire, or shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 0 on each side, or 2–3 on each side; lobes obtuse; lobing index 1–1.1; lamina 6.5–9.5 cm long; lamina 3.4–6 cm wide; lamina 1.1–2.1 times longer than broad; apex obtuse; base cuneate or attenuate, or obtuse; oblique part 0–6 mm long; obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Adult leaves petioles 1.2–1.7 cm long; 13–35 % length of lamina; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 100–400; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 1–6 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density very sparse to sparse. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.8–2.5 mm apart; 0.25–0.45 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 3–7; porrect; central ray 0.8–1.6 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 present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 40–250; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density sparse to dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.3–1.4 mm apart; 0.5–0.7 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.5–1 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 17–27 mm long; rachis prickles present; 6–10-flowered; weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 8–14 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.5–0.8 mm thick at mid-point; prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate; 3–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present; 36–50 per flower; 1.5–4 mm long. Calyx stellae moderate to dense; transparent; 0.4–0.5 mm across; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 4–8; central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla white, or mauve; 13–18 mm long; rotate; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 6.5–8.5 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only, or with stellate and Type 2 hairs. Functional style 11–14 mm long; sigmoid; with Type 2 hairs only, or with stellate and Type 2 hairs; stellae 0.2–0.4 mm across; stellae lateral rays 6–8; stellae central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, or lobes more than half length of mature fruit; prickles 1.5–4 mm long. Mature fruits 1–6 per inflorescence; globular; 16–21 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); placenta sessile, elliptical; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 0.4–0.5 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 18–28 mm long; 1.4–2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow; 3.3–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Cook, North Kennedy. Semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah, shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
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’.