| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1–2.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets brown or green. Branchlet prickles 1–10 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 4–9 mm long, 13–18 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate to dense, 0.25–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.4 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 7–14.5 cm long, 2.3–5 cm wide, 2.1–3.2 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 3–6 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1–1.4. Leaf apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–2.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–2 percent. Petioles 0.6–1 cm long, 6–10% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–10, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 5–8 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent or confined to midrib, absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–4, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very sparse to moderate, 0.5–1.7 mm apart, 0.4–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–0.6 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 absent or present, common peduncle 0–4 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 5–13-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–8 mm long, markedly thicker distally, 0.15–0.25 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis rostrate, 0.2–1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae moderate to dense, transparent, 0.25–0.3 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white or mauve or purple, 5–8 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy or densely stellate-hairy. Anthers 3–4.5 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 3.5–4.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate hairs only, stellae c. 0.25 mm across, stellae lateral rays 7–10, stellae central ray 0–1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 13–17 mm diameter, red, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta sessile, elliptical, interior juicy, succulent, pericarp 1.2–1.7 mm thick, pedicels 17–28 mm long, pedicels 0.6–0.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 3.8–4.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Cook. Semi-deciduous vine forest on sand, laterite or granite.
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’.