| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.1–0.3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles 100–660 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–8 mm long, 10–20 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.6–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.8 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 3.5–9.5 cm long, 2–5.5 cm wide, 1.6–2.1 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 3–4 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1–1.1. Leaf apex acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–3.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–9 percent. Petioles 1.1–5 cm long, 25–55% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–12, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 3–5 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density to very dense, 0.05–0.4 mm apart, 0.4–0.8 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–1.5 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 white to grey or yellowish, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–9, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.05–0.15 mm apart, 0.6–0.9 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–1.5 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 25–38 mm long, rachis prickles present, 2–6-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–11 mm long, same thickness throughout or markedly thicker distally, 1–1.2 mm thick at mid-point, prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–6 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or rostrate or attenuate, 2.5–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 60–300 per flower, 1–3 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or brown or rusty, 0.7–0.9 mm across, stalks 0–1.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 1–1.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 9–14 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–6 mm long. Filaments 1.2–2.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 7–12 mm long, protruding between anthers or strongly bent near base, not touching anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit, prickles 1–8 mm long. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence, oblate, 15–23 mm diameter, 4-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 2–2.5 mm thick, pedicels 10–18 mm long, pedicels 1–1.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown, 2–2.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia. Qld: Burke. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • long-stalked stellate hair.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
