| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets mauve to purple or brown. Branchlet prickles 3–10 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 4.5–8 mm long, 9–11 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.35–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–0.6 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical, 2–5.7 cm long, 0.6–1.3 cm wide, 2.6–4.4 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–1.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Petioles 0.4–1 cm long, 17–23% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein only, prickles 1–2, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 1–6 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent or confined to midrib or distributed throughout, absent from surface or very sparse, 1.5–4 mm apart, 0.25–0.35 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 8–16, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–0.9 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, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–2, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very sparse or sparse or moderate or dense, 0.2–0.6 mm apart, 0.3–0.45 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–1.2 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, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent or present, common peduncle 0–9 mm long, rachis prickles absent or present, 4–7-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–16 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical or deltate, 2–3 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse, yellow or purple, 0.1–0.2 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 6–16, central ray 0.4–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 13–16 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 5.8–6.1 mm long. Filaments 1.6–2.2 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 9–10 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, black, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), pericarp 0.1–0.3 mm thick, pedicels 8 mm long. Seeds black, 3.5–3.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Western Australia.
Classification. 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’.