| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets mauve to purple or brown. Branchlet prickles 25–50 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 3–8 mm long, 9–12 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs short glandular or stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.25–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–4 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, rigid. Branchlet short glandular hairs sparse.
Leaves. Leaves ovate, 6.4–10.5 cm long, 3.5–5 cm wide, 1.6–2.2 times longer than broad, shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 4–5 on each side, lobes acute, lobing index 1.3–1.6. Leaf apex acute or acuminate, base obtuse, oblique part 0–5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Petioles 1.3–3.5 cm long, 18–35% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 15–50, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 2–8 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, sparse, 0.5–0.8 mm apart, 0.25–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–5, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–3 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, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 11–17, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate, 0.4–0.8 mm apart, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–6, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–1 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 17–35 mm long, rachis prickles present, 12–15-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 8–11 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.3–0.6 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse, transparent, 0.15–0.2 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–5, central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs present. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 10–14 mm long, shallowly lobed or deeply lobed. Anthers 5–5.8 mm long. Functional style protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 7 mm diameter, pedicels 15 mm long, pedicels 0.7 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2.5–3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Cook. Semi-deciduous vine forest on sand, laterite or granite.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • type specimen.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
