Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.7–1.4 m high. Juvenile leaves lanceolate, or ovate; shallowly-lobed throughout; with 1–3 pairs of lobes; lamina 7–9 cm long; lamina 2–3 cm wide.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets grey, or mauve. Adult branchlets prickles absent, or present; 0–3 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 4–6 mm long; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae dense, or very dense; 0.25–0.4 mm diameter; lateral rays 7–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray absent, or present; central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves linear, or narrow lanceolate; entire; lamina 3–9.6 cm long; lamina 0.3–1.5 cm wide; lamina 6–10 times longer than broad; apex obtuse, or acute; base cuneate or attenuate; oblique part 0–3 mm long; obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.3–1.7 cm long; 11–21 % length of lamina; prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, or grey-green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density sparse to moderate density. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.1–0.3 mm apart; 0.15–0.25 mm across; lateral rays 4–8; central ray 0–1 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; prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density dense, or very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.3–0.5 mm diameter; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 0–0.5 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); rachis prickles absent; 1–4-flowered; strongly andromonoecious, or weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 10–13 mm long; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate; 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense; transparent, or purple; 0.25–0.5 mm across; lateral rays 7–8; central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple; 9–13 mm long; rotate. Anthers 4–5 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only, or with stellate and Type 2 hairs. Functional style 7.5–9 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; 14–17 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 2-locular; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 0.5–0.7 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 17–23 mm long. Seeds white, or pale yellow; 2.6–2.8 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. Northern Tablelands (NT). 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’.