| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate. Stoloniferous perennial shrub. 0–0.3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets terete or ridged. Branchlets brown or green. Branchlet prickles 25–65 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 3–7 mm long, 9–20 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate to dense, 0.2–0.35 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 5.5–9.5 cm long, 2.8–4.5 cm wide, 1.6–2.3 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 2–4 on each side, lobes acute, lobing index 1–1.4. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–5 percent. Petioles 1–1.7 cm long, 14–29% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 20–60, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 2–8 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs confined to midrib, absent from surface or very sparse. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green or greenish-white or white to grey or yellowish, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 10–30, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs sparse to very dense, 0.05–0.25 mm apart, 0.25–0.35 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–0.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, sessile (rachis very short or absent) or cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent or present, common peduncle 0–7 mm long, rachis prickles absent or present, 2–8-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male or some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 6–20 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.25–0.4 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 1.5–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present, 0–2 per flower, 0.5–1 mm long. Calyx stellae moderate, transparent or purple, 0.2–0.3 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 8–12 mm long, shallowly lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 4–5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 6–7.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous or with short glandular hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 15–18 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta sessile, elliptical, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.8 mm thick, pedicels 21–30 mm long, pedicels 0.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 3.5–4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. NSW: North Coast. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts).
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • acanthodapis1.jpg. • acanthodapis0.jpg.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
