| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate or sprawling. Herbaceous resprouter or rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.1–0.3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or rusty. Branchlet prickles 350–560 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 4–12 mm long, 14–20 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, lateral rays 8–9, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 2.8–9.8 cm long, 1.3–4.4 cm wide, 2.1–2.8 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 2–3 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1–1.1. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–4.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Petioles 1.3–4 cm long, 26–56% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 1–20, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 3.5–13 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, very dense, lateral rays 8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 1–2 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 yellowish, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 3–35, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, lateral rays 8–12, lateral rays porrect or ascending or multiradiate, central ray 0.9–2 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 11–27 mm long, rachis prickles present, 2–8-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–5 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 3.5–8 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 22–50 per flower, 3.5–8 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, lateral rays 7–12, central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 9–15 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.6–4.3 mm long. Filaments 1 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 8–8.5 mm long, strongly bent near base, not touching anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence, oblate or globular, 19–20 mm diameter, brown or yellow, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior juicy, succulent, pericarp 0.5–0.7 mm thick, pedicels 7–12 mm long. Seeds white or pale yellow, 1.8–2.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory. Shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • branchlet. • whole plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
