| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.8–1.8 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or brown. Branchlet prickles 1–10 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 5–9 mm long, 7–10 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.3–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–10, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves linear or narrow lanceolate, 5–11 cm long, 0.5–1.3 cm wide, 6–13 times longer than broad, entire or with basal lobes only, lobes 0–1 on each side, lobes obtuse. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse or hastate, oblique part 0–1.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–2 percent. Petioles 0.3–0.9 cm long, 5–15% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein only, prickles 1–7, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 4–10 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, very sparse to sparse, 0.4–0.7 mm apart, 0.1–0.2 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface white to grey or yellowish, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–5, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, c. 0.05 mm apart, 0.2–0.45 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, 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 short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle 1–11 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 3–6-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 5–10 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.8–0.9 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 2.5–4.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense, transparent or purple, 0.25–0.4 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 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 purple, 8–14 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–6.5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 8–11 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate and short glandular hairs, stellae 0.4–0.5 mm across, stellae lateral rays 8–11, stellae central ray c. 1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence, oblate or globular, 11–16 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.7–0.8 mm thick, pedicels 9–13 mm long, pedicels 0.9–1.4 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds white or pale yellow, 2.3–3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Moreton, Darling Downs. NSW: Northern Tablelands, North-west Slopes. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • amblymer1.jpg. • amblymer.jpg.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
