| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Sprawling. Annual or non-rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlets ridged. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs short glandular or simple. Branchlet stellate hairs absent. Branchlet simple hairs antrorse, curved, not gland-tipped, short glandular hairs absent or sparse.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or ovate, 3–10 cm long, 2–5 cm wide, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 4–7 on each side, lobes obtuse. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate. Petioles 0.7–2.5 cm long, not winged or winged, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent, protostellae absent, absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs antrorse, curved, not gland-tipped.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs antrorse, curved, not gland-tipped.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, 2-branched, each branch terminated by an umbel, common peduncle 10–25 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 4–14-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–8 mm long, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical, 1–1.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent. Calyx simple hairs present. Corolla white, 4–6 mm long, deeply lobed. Anthers 2.3–3.3 mm long. Functional style 5–7.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with simple hairs.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx prickles absent, lobes not recurved. Mature fruits globular, 6–9 mm diameter, black or purple, dull, pedicels 10–15 mm long. Seeds pale yellow or black. Stone-cell granules present.
Distribution and habitat. Victoria, Tasmania.
Classification. Naturalised. Sect. Solanum. Data source: Symon 1981, Fl of Vic, Henderson 1974.
Illustrations. • fruits. • leaves and flowers.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
