| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 2–4 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlets brown. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs stellate or absent. Branchlet stellate hairs absent or sparse to moderate, 0.25–0.35 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–0.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 13–23 cm long, 4.3–7.5 cm wide, 2.8–3.1 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–15 mm long, obliqueness index 0–9 percent. Petioles 1–1.8 cm long, 7–10% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. 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. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, branched (paniculate to corymbose), common peduncle 5–8 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 15–25-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 4–5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–7 mm long, markedly thicker distally, 0.4–0.7 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 0.3–1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse to very dense, yellow or white, 0.15–0.25 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, central ray 0.6–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve, 7–9 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 7–8 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate hairs only, stellae 0.25–0.3 mm across, stellae lateral rays 8–11, stellae central ray 0.5–0.8 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 3–13 per inflorescence, globular, 8.5 mm diameter, red, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), interior juicy, succulent, pedicels 8–16 mm long, pedicels 0.8–1 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2–2.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Cook. Semi-deciduous vine forest on sand, laterite or granite.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • herbarium specimen.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
