| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.4–1.2 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey. Branchlet prickles 6–22 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 3–9 mm long, 10–15 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.4–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 12–16, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.1–0.6 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical, 3.5–8 cm long, 0.8–1.5 cm wide, 4.1–6.1 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–8 mm long, obliqueness index 0–14 percent. Petioles 0.5–2.1 cm long, 11–37% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green, prickles absent or present on midvein only. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent or confined to midrib or distributed throughout, absent from surface or very sparse or sparse, 0.3–2 mm apart, 0.25–0.4 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.1–0.4 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, prickles absent or present on midvein only. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate or dense or very dense, 0.05–0.3 mm apart, (0.25–)0.3–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.1–0.7 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 absent or present, common peduncle 0–4 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 4–11-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 5–10 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical or deltate, 2–3 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense or very dense, yellow or white, 0.25–0.35 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 8–16, central ray 0.3–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 10–15 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.8–6 mm long. Filaments 1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 8–9 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous or with stellate and short glandular hairs.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 11–15 mm diameter, black, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), pericarp 0.1–0.3 mm thick, pedicels 7–11 mm long. Seeds black, 3.5–4.2 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Western Australia.
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’.