| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets terete or ridged. Branchlets white or grey or rusty. Branchlet prickles 140–600 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–11 mm long, 10–14 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs throughout lower part. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.25–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–11, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray present, central ray 0.7–2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet simple hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 5–7.5 cm long, 2–3 cm wide, 1.9–3 times longer than broad, deeply lobed throughout, lobes 3–5 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 2.5–12. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 4–7 mm long, obliqueness index 6–10 percent. Petioles 0.7–1.4 cm long, 15–25% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 4–55, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 1–10 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, dense to very dense, 0.05–0.15 mm apart, 0.2–0.35 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–1.2 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 white to grey or yellowish, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 6–70, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, c. 0.05 mm apart, 0.25–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–1.2 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, solitary (bisexual) or cymose (pseudo-racemose) (male), common peduncle 14–18 mm long, rachis prickles present, 12–28-flowered (male), with all flowers unisexual (dioecious species). Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 2–6 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.4–0.8 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 300–600. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 1–5 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 18–30. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 1–4 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, white or brown or rusty, 0.3–0.4 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.7–1.4 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 11–14 mm long (male), rotate, inner surface densely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4–4.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 9.5–12 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous. Stigma forked.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit, prickles 3–10 mm long. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, c. 25 mm diameter, pedicels 3–5 mm long, pedicels 1.5–2 mm thick at mid-point.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, Western Australia. Qld: Cook, Burke. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • carduiforme_krm14370_1.jpg. • carduiforme_krm14370.jpg. • bush. • fruiting (female) plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
