| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1–2 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or brown. Branchlet prickles 20–350 per decimetre, straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, 1–4 mm long, 5–10 times longer than wide, with scattered short glandular hairs on lower half or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense, 0.8–1.2 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.5 mm long, lateral rays 8–10, lateral rays ascending or multiradiate, central ray 0.8–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves broadly ovate or orbicular, 10–35 cm long, 8.5–26 cm wide, 1–1.4 times longer than broad, shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 3–8 on each side, lobes acute or obtuse, lobing index 1.1–1.3. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–15 mm long, obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Petioles 2.7–7.2 cm long, 18–30% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–120, prickles straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, prickles 2–7 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, moderate density to dense, 0.2–0.4 mm apart, 0.35–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays ascending or multiradiate, central ray 4–10 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 or yellowish, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–60, prickles straight and acicular or straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.1–0.3 mm apart, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.4 mm long, lateral rays 8–12, lateral rays ascending or multiradiate, central ray 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 0–2 mm long, rachis prickles present, 2–10-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–9 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.7–1 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2–8 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or white, 0.5–0.8 mm across, stalks 0–1 mm long, lateral rays 6–12, central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white, 12–18 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 6–8.5 mm long. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Functional style protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 25–35 mm diameter, orange, conspicuously stellate hairy, interior moist but not juicy, pedicels 10–15 mm long, pedicels 0.9–1.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 2.2–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Cook. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts).
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’.