| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub or non-rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1–4 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.3–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.7 mm long, lateral rays 12–30, lateral rays echinoid, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate or broadly ovate, 7–18 cm long, 4–9 cm wide, 1.8–2.1 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate or obtuse. Petioles 1.9–5.3 cm long, 21–32% length of lamina, prickles absent. Axillary leaves absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, moderate density or dense or very dense, stalks 0–0.15 mm long, lateral rays 5–12, lateral rays ascending or multiradiate, central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface greenish-white or white to grey, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense or very dense, 0.4–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0.1–0.5 mm long, lateral rays 7–15, lateral rays ascending or multiradiate, central ray not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence terminal, branched (paniculate to corymbose), common peduncle 30–50 mm long, rachis prickles absent, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis prickles absent. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense or very dense, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white, deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Functional style protruding between anthers.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits globular, 9–13 mm diameter, yellow or yellowish-green, conspicuously stellate hairy, pedicels 7–12 mm long. Seeds 1.6–2 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Moreton, Wide Bay, Cook, Port Curtis, Kennedy South, Kennedy North. NSW: North Coast, Central Coast. Wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, or rainforest margins, semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah.
Classification. Naturalised. Subg. Brevantherum. Data source: Symon 1981, specimens.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.