| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.7–1.8 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or yellow or rusty. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–10 per decimetre, straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, 6–10 mm long, 6–14 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.15–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.4 mm long, lateral rays 8–11, lateral rays porrect or ascending or multiradiate, central ray 1–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or ovate, 2.5–8.5 cm long, 1.1–2.3 cm wide, 2.3–3.6 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–3.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Petioles 0.4–1.3 cm long, 10–20% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density to very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.2–0.4 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, 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 present throughout, 0.5–1 mm apart.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface yellowish or rusty, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.2–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.7–1.4 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 6–12 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 2–5-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–10 mm long, markedly thicker distally, 1–2 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis rostrate or attenuate, 1–10 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or white or brown or rusty, 0.3–0.5 mm across, stalks 0.1–0.4 mm long, lateral rays 7–10, central ray 0.8–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 10–14 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface densely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–6.5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only or with stellate and short glandular hairs. Functional style 8–10 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, 13–16 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 4-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.8–1.1 mm thick, pedicels 5–15 mm long, pedicels 0.8–2.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow or black, 2.5–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Darling Downs, Burnett, Maranoa, Leichhardt, Warrego, Port Curtis. NSW: North-west Slopes, Central-west Slopes, North Western Plains. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest, lancewood communities (dominated by Acacia catenulata, shirleyi, burrowii, etc.).
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers and fruits. • plant. • type specimen.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
