| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.6–3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–8 per decimetre, straight, broad-based or curved, broad-based, 2.5–8 mm long, 4–7 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.15–0.3 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–15, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves linear or narrow lanceolate, 4–9.2 cm long, 0.45–1.2 cm wide, 5.7–16 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–3 mm long, obliqueness index 0–5 percent. Petioles 0.6–1.4 cm long, 9–20% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, dense to very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.1–0.25 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–15, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0 times as long as laterals. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface white to grey or silvery, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.05–0.15 mm apart, 0.1–0.25 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 12–15, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0 times as long as laterals. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle 1–12 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 6–17-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 6–12 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical or deltate, 1–2 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or white, 0.15–0.25 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 12–15, central ray 0 times as long as laterals. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 11–20 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 5.3–6.9 mm long. Filaments 1–1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 10–11 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–6 per inflorescence, globular, 11–14 mm diameter, black, shiny, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), interior dry, pericarp 0.1–0.3 mm thick, pedicels 9–14 mm long. Seeds brown or black, 4–5.2 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Western Australia. Red earths in mulga (Acacia aneura) dominated communities, shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • mature fruit. • flowers and fruits. • plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
