| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.2–0.4 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey or yellow. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–10 per decimetre, straight, broad-based, 1.5–5 mm long, 5–7 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs short glandular or stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.3–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 8–13, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.3 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs dense.
Leaves. Leaves linear or narrow lanceolate, 2–7 cm long, 0.3–0.7 cm wide, 6–10 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse, base cuneate, oblique part 0–1 mm long, obliqueness index 0–3 percent. Petioles 0.3–0.8 cm long, 10–17% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density to dense, 0.1–0.2 mm apart, 0.2–0.5 mm across, stalks 0–0.05 mm long, lateral rays 8–10, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–0.3 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs present throughout, 0.1–0.2 mm apart.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface white to grey, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.4–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 8–10, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–0.3 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs present throughout, 0.05–0.1 mm apart.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence leaf-opposed or supra-axillary, solitary or sessile (rachis very short or absent), common peduncle absent, 1–2-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 4-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 5–17 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.8–1.1 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2.5–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, white, 0.4–0.6 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 8–11, central ray 0.2–0.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 7–15 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–7.5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only or with white glandular papillae. Functional style 8–11.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only or with white glandular papillae.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, oblate or globular, c. 13 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 2-locular, placenta sessile, elliptical, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.7–0.9 mm thick, pedicels 9–18 mm long, pedicels 0.8–1.1 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2.7–3.1 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Maranoa, Warrego. NSW: North Western Plains. Shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • plant. • type specimen.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
