| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Sprawling or erect. Annual or non-rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlets ridged. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs short glandular or simple. Branchlet stellate hairs absent. Branchlet simple hairs antrorse, curved, not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical or ovate, 3–10 cm long, 1.3–5 cm wide, shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 5–10 on each side, lobes obtuse. Leaf apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate. Petioles 1–3 cm long, not winged or winged, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent, protostellae absent, absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs antrorse, curved, moderate to dense, not gland-tipped.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs antrorse, curved, moderate to dense, not gland-tipped.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, almost umbellate but 1–2 fls/frt separate, common peduncle 20–30 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 5–14-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 10–15 mm long, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical, 0.8–1.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent. Calyx simple hairs absent. Corolla white, 5–8 mm long, deeply lobed. Anthers 3.2–4.3 mm long. Functional style 5–8.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with simple hairs.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits globular, 6–8 mm diameter, black, dull. Seeds pale yellow, 1.5–1.8 mm long. Stone-cell granules present.
Distribution and habitat. Victoria.
Classification. Naturalised. Sect. Solanum. Data source: Fl of Vic, Symon 1981, Henderson 1974.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.