| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1–2.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–5 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 6–10 mm long, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.25–0.35 mm diameter, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet simple hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical, 4.6–13 cm long, 1.5–5.7 cm wide, 2.2–4.7 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 2–3 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1–1.2. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–5 percent. Petioles 0.8–3.4 cm long, 12–26% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–5, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 3–7 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density to dense, 0.1–0.2 mm apart, 0.15–0.25 mm across, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays ascending, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent or present throughout.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface yellowish, prickles absent or present on midvein only. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, 0.25–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0.15–0.4 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1 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 20–26 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 4–10-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male or some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 15–20 mm long, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 2.5–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present, 0–5 per flower. Calyx stellae dense, transparent or purple, 0.25–0.4 mm across, lateral rays 6–8, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 12–16 mm long, rotate, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4–6.5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only or with stellate and short glandular hairs. Functional style 8–9 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only or with stellate and short glandular hairs, stellae lateral rays 9–11.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent or present. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence, globular, 13–16 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 2-locular, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.8–1 mm thick, pedicels 15–23 mm long. Seeds white or pale yellow, 2.4–2.8 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. NSW: Central Coast, South Coast. Wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, or rainforest margins.
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’.