| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.2–0.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey or yellow. Branchlet prickles 5–280 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–5 mm long, 10–14 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.4–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–13, lateral rays porrect or ascending or multiradiate, central ray 0.8–1.3 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate, 3.5–8.8 cm long, 1.4–3.8 cm wide, 1.7–2.9 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–4 mm long, obliqueness index 0–7 percent. Petioles 0.6–4.2 cm long, 18–48% 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, dense or very dense, 0.05–0.2 mm apart, 0.4–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 6–10, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.7–1.2 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 or present on midvein only, prickles 0–2, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense or very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.4–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–11, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.7–1.2 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 15–50 mm long, rachis prickles absent or present, 2–6-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–15 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 2–7 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 1–25 per flower, 0.5–2 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or white, 0.4–0.8 mm across, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 8–10, central ray 0.7–1.3 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 9–13 mm long, rotate or shallowly lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.2–5.5 mm long. Filaments 1.2–1.6 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 8–9.5 mm long, strongly bent near base, not touching anthers, glabrous. Stigma expanded, obtuse or lobed.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 0.5–2 mm long. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence, globular, 13 mm diameter, pericarp 0.3–0.4 mm thick, pedicels 8–13 mm long, pedicels 1.2–1.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2.5–3.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, Northern Territory. Qld: Warrego, Mitchell, Gregory South, Gregory North. Shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • habit. • fruit. • flowering plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
