| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Perennial vine. 1.5–7 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles 50–140 per decimetre, curved, broad-based, 1–3.5 mm long, 1–2.5 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.3–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.4 mm long, lateral rays 7–10, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 11–15 cm long, 5–6.5 cm wide, 1.7–2.4 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate or obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–6 mm long, obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Petioles 1.9–3.8 cm long, 17–25% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–10, prickles straight, broad-based, prickles 2.5–7 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, moderate density to dense, 0.2–0.3 mm apart, 0.25–0.4 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, 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 or yellowish, prickles present on midvein only, prickles 1–6, prickles curved, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense, 0.1–0.15 mm apart, 0.4–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 8–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.7–1.5 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 0–5 mm long, rachis prickles absent or present, 5–11-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 8–18 mm long, markedly thicker distally, 0.5–0.6 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense to very dense, white or brown or rusty, 0.25–0.5 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.7–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve, 9–15 mm long, shallowly lobed or deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–6 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 8–8.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate hairs only, stellae 0.3–0.5 mm across, stellae lateral rays 6–8, stellae central ray 0.7–1.2 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 13–15 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 2-locular, placenta sessile, semi-circular or stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.8–1 mm thick, pedicels 18–25 mm long, pedicels 0.8–1.2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2–2.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Cook, Kennedy North. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts).
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Common name: Dirran Curse. Data source: specimens.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.