| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate or sprawling. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.2–0.4 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or brown. Branchlet prickles 5–35 per decimetre, straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, 0.5–5 mm long, 5–9 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.25–0.3 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 8–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 2.5–6.5 cm long, 1.3–3.5 cm wide, 1.8–2.2 times longer than broad, deeply lobed throughout, lobes 3–5 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 5–12. Leaf apex obtuse, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–2 mm long, obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Petioles 0.9–3.2 cm long, 35–55% length of lamina, winged, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 35–50, prickles straight, broad-based, prickles 1–4 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, very sparse, 0.4–1.3 mm apart, 0.2–0.3 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–10, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–0.5 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 present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 6–20, prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.3–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 8–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0–0.4 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 26–46 mm long, rachis prickles present, 5–7-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–18 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.4–0.8 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 1–2 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 15–25 per flower, 0.5–3 mm long. Calyx stellae moderate to dense, white, 0.2–0.3 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0–0.4 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 8–10 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–4.5 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style 5–7.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate and short glandular hairs, stellae 0.25–0.35 mm across, stellae lateral rays 4–8, stellae central ray 0–0.4 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles 1–3 mm long. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence, globular or ellipsoidal or ovoid, 12–15 mm diameter, pedicels 14–21 mm long, pedicels 0.9–1.1 mm thick at mid-point.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria. Qld: Maranoa. NSW: North Western Plains, North Far Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Grassland or open woodland on cracking clays.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Common name: Lagoon Nightshade. 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’.