| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.15–0.3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey or yellow. Branchlet prickles 1–10 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 6–15 mm long, with stellate hairs throughout lower part. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, central ray 0.1–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 1.5–3 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, 1.5–2 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 2–3 on each side, lobes obtuse. Leaf apex obtuse, base cuneate or obtuse. Petioles 0.3–1 cm long, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density, central ray 0.1–0.5 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, central ray 0.1–0.5 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), rachis prickles absent, 3–12-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–6 mm long, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2–4 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 9–15 mm long, rotate. Anthers 3 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 10 mm long, protruding between anthers.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes exceeding mature fruit or hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits globular, 7 mm diameter, pedicels 10–15 mm long. Seeds black, 4–5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. NSW: South Western Plains, South Far Western Plains.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: Symon 1981, Fl of NSW, specimens.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.