| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets brown or green. Branchlet prickles 25–50 per decimetre, curved, broad-based, 3–7 mm long, 2–3 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense, 0.7–1 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.7–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 3.5–8.5 cm long, 2.3–5 cm wide, 1.4–1.8 times longer than broad, shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 2–3 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1.1–1.6. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–2 mm long, obliqueness index 0–2 percent. Petioles 0.8–1.7 cm long, 20–30% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 3–11, prickles straight, broad-based, prickles 5–10 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density to dense, 0.3–0.5 mm apart, 0.4–0.7 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 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 green or greenish-white or white to grey, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 5–15, prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense, 0.1–0.2 mm apart, 0.5–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 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, solitary or sessile (rachis very short or absent), common peduncle absent, 1–3-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 5–10 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.4–1 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 10–30. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 2–7 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or rostrate, 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or white, 0.6–0.8 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 9–12 mm long, rotate, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–5 mm long. Ovary with stellate and short glandular hairs. Functional style 6.5–7 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate and short glandular hairs, stellae 0.6–0.7 mm across, stellae lateral rays c. 9, stellae central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles 4–7 mm long. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 18–22 mm diameter, yellow, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 1 mm thick, pedicels 15–20 mm long, pedicels 0.8–1.2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow or black, 2–2.6 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Port Curtis.
Classification. Naturalised. Subg. Leptostemonum. 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’.