| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles 10–40 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 3–8 mm long, 8–13 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.35–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–0.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves linear, 4–7 cm long, 0.3–0.7 cm wide, 8.5–17 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–2 mm long, obliqueness index 0–3 percent. Petioles 0.2–0.3 cm long, 3–7% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–6, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 1.5–7 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, sparse to moderate density, 0.15–0.4 mm apart, 0.2–0.3 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.7–1.3 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. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, c. 0.05 mm apart, 0.4–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.15 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–0.8 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, sessile (rachis very short or absent) or cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent or present, common peduncle 0–4 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 4–9-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–6 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.4–0.6 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, purple or brown or rusty, 0.25–0.35 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 8–9, central ray 0.6–1.4 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white or mauve, 7–11 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4–5.5 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only or with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 8–9.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only or with stellate and short glandular hairs, stellae 0.3–0.4 mm across, stellae lateral rays 5–7, 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, 10–15 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta sessile, semi-circular, interior juicy, succulent or moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.3–0.4 mm thick, pedicels 5–9 mm long, pedicels 0.5–0.9 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 3.5–4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Cook, Leichhardt, Mitchell, Kennedy South, Kennedy North, Burke. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest, lancewood communities (dominated by Acacia catenulata, shirleyi, burrowii, etc.).
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • galbinum_31815_03.jpg. • galbinum_31815_02.jpg. • galbinum_31815_01.jpg. • leaf surface.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
