| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.2–0.4 m high. Large stems prickles present.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–2 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 4–7 mm long, 7–10 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, lateral rays porrect, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet simple hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse. Petioles prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, dense to very dense, lateral rays porrect, 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 or rusty, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.75 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), rachis prickles absent, 6-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–5 mm long, same thickness throughout or markedly thicker distally, prickles absent. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, brown or rusty, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 3.9–4.8 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 7.5–8 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits globular, yellow or yellowish-green.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory, Western Australia. Red earths in mulga (Acacia aneura) dominated communities.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • closeup of flowers. • 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’.
