| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate. Annual or herbaceous resprouter. 0.15–0.25 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles present, 70–180 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–6 mm long, 15–20 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense or very dense, lateral rays 8–15, lateral rays porrect or ascending or multiradiate, central ray 1–2.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped or gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or ovate, 2.8–4.7 cm long, 1.2–3.6 cm wide, 1.2–2.4 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 2–3 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1–1.1. Leaf apex obtuse, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–4.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–10 percent. Petioles 1.4–3.1 cm long, 40–70% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density or dense, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1.1–2 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 green or greenish-white, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–10, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate or dense, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1.2–2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped or gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle 8–21 mm long, rachis prickles present, 1–5-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–14 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or rostrate, 2–4 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 10–25 per flower, 1.5–3 mm long. Calyx stellae dense, lateral rays 6–8, central ray 1.2–2.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped or gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white or mauve, 6–9 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 2–3.8 mm long. Filaments 0.6–1.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous or with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 5–6 mm long, protruding between anthers or erect near base, then bent towards apex, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 1.5–5 mm long. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence, globular, 9–12 mm diameter, yellow, 2-locular, placenta sessile, semi-circular, interior juicy, succulent or moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.4–0.8 mm thick, pedicels 15–23 mm long. Seeds white or pale yellow, 2–2.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Western Australia. Qld: Darling Downs, Maranoa, Warrego, Mitchell, Kennedy South, Burke. NSW: North Western Plains, North Far Western Plains. Red earths in mulga (Acacia aneura) dominated communities, shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers. • flower. • whole plant. • mature fruits. • large plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
