| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.4–1.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets terete or ridged. Branchlets yellow or rusty. Branchlet prickles present, 700–1200 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 4–9 mm long, 9–12 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs throughout lower part. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate, 7.1–14 cm long, 3.9–7.1 cm wide, 1.8–2.3 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–9 mm long, obliqueness index 0–7 percent. Petioles 1–2 cm long, 8–18% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface yellowish or grey, prickles present on midvein only, prickles 6–16, prickles straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, prickles 3–7 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, very dense, 0–0.05 mm apart, 0.6–0.9 mm across, stalks 0–0.9 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.6–1 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 present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 9–28, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, 0–0.05 mm apart, 0.6–0.9 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.8 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.7–1.1 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 14–25 mm long, rachis prickles present, 15–30-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 5–11 mm long, same thickness throughout. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 70–130. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0–20. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 1–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present, 0–130 per flower, 2–3.5 mm long (males only). Calyx stellae very dense, transparent, 0.7–0.9 mm across, stalks 0.1–1 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, central ray 1–1.4 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 11–13 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 6.6–7.8 mm long. Filaments 1–1.5 mm long.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes more than half length of mature fruit. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 30–38 mm diameter, yellow, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, pedicels 22–43 mm long, pedicels 2.3–3.3 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 2.5–3.2 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’.