| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.3–0.6 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets terete or ridged. Branchlets white or grey. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–30 per decimetre, straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, 0.5–1.5 mm long, 6–10 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.4–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 15–18, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready.
Leaves. Leaves narrow lanceolate or lanceolate, 3–6.5 cm long, 0.8–1.4 cm wide, 3.9–5.2 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 3–6 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1–1.1. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–3 mm long, obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Petioles 0.4–1.3 cm long, 13–25% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, dense to very dense, 0.05–0.2 mm apart, 0.4–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 10–15, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–0.5 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, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, c. 0.05 mm apart, 0.3–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 13–16, 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 6–21 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 4–8-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–14 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.7–0.9 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 3–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present, 0–35 per flower, 1–2.5 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, white, 0.4–0.5 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 13–20, central ray 0.1–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 12–14 mm long, shallowly lobed or deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 7–9 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 11–13 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous or with stellate hairs only, stellae 0.6–0.7 mm across, stellae lateral rays 11–14, stellae central ray 0.4–1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent or present, prickles 1–2.5 mm long. Mature fruits 2–5 per inflorescence, globular, 13–15 mm diameter, yellow or yellowish-green, with a few scattered stellate hairs, interior moist but not juicy, pedicels 16–27 mm long, pedicels 1.2–1.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 2.9–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia. Qld: Moreton, Darling Downs, Burnett. NSW: North Coast, North-west Slopes, Central-west Slopes, South-west Slopes, North Western Plains, South Western Plains.
Classification. Naturalised. Subg. Leptostemonum. Common name: Silver-leaf Nightshade. 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’.