| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.4–1.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey or brown. Branchlet prickles 15–60 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 2–10 mm long, 9–13 times longer than wide, glabrous or with scattered short glandular hairs on lower half. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate to very dense, 0.25–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves linear, 3–7.5 cm long, 0.2–0.7 cm wide, 9–26 times longer than broad, entire or with basal lobes only, lobes 0–1 on each side, lobes obtuse. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or hastate, oblique part 0–1 mm long, obliqueness index 0–2 percent. Petioles 0.4–1 cm long, 8–20% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein only, prickles 2–6, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 2–9 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs confined to midrib or distributed throughout, protostellae absent, very sparse to sparse, 0.4–0.8 mm apart, 0.25–0.35 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–1 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 green or greenish-white or white to grey or yellowish, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–4, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs sparse to very dense, 0.05–0.7 mm apart, 0.2–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–0.5 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 absent or present, common peduncle 0–7 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 2–10-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male or some bisexual and some male flowers or all flowers bisexual. Flowers 4–5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 6–13 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.2–0.4 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or rostrate, 0.7–1.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae moderate to very dense, yellow, 0.3–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white or mauve, 6–12 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous or with stellate and short glandular hairs. Functional style 4.5–6.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous or with stellate and short glandular hairs, stellae c. 0.4 mm across, stellae lateral rays 7–8, stellae central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence, globular, 6–9 mm diameter, red, glabrous or with a few scattered short glandular hairs, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta not apparent, interior juicy, succulent, pericarp 0.1 mm thick, pedicels 13–16 mm long, pedicels 0.5–0.6 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 3–3.6 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Western Australia. Qld: Darling Downs, Maranoa, Leichhardt, Warrego, Mitchell, Gregory North, Kennedy South, Burke. NSW: North-west Slopes, Central-west Slopes, North Western Plains, South Western Plains, North Far Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest, lancewood communities (dominated by Acacia catenulata, shirleyi, burrowii, etc.), red earths in mulga (Acacia aneura) dominated communities, shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers. • leaves and flowers. • grazed plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
