| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Sprawling or erect. Shrub. 0.6–1.2 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets brown. Branchlet prickles 160–320 per decimetre, straight, broad-based, 1–4.5 mm long, 5–7 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.3–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 4–7, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 7.3–15.5 cm long, 3–7.2 cm wide, 1.8–2.4 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cordate, oblique part 0 mm long. Petioles 0 cm long.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, moderate density or dense, 0.15–0.4 mm apart, 0.5–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–0.8 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 greenish-white, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate or dense, 0.2–0.4 mm apart, 0.5–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 5–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.3–0.8 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 leaf-opposed, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent, rachis prickles present, 6–10-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 6–10 mm long (male), prickles present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 615–785. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 1–9 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 60–125. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 1–3.5 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2 mm long (male). Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 6–9 mm long (male). Calyx stellae moderate or dense (male), transparent, 0.4–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 4–6, central ray 0.3–0.7 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 10–14 mm long (male), rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 8.7–9.2 mm long (male). Filaments 0.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 17–18 mm long, erect near base, then bent towards apex.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes exceeding mature fruit. Fruiting calyx prickles 900–1100. Fruiting calyx prickles 2–12 mm long, lobes strongly recurved. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 20–25 mm diameter, white, pedicels 38–43 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.