| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1.5 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or brown or green. Branchlet prickles 10–25 per decimetre, straight, broad-based, 3–7 mm long, 2–4 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.25–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.1–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 5–12.5 cm long, 2.8–8 cm wide, 1.4–1.9 times longer than broad, deeply lobed throughout, lobes 3–4 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 5–13. Leaf apex obtuse, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–10 mm long, obliqueness index 0–8 percent. Petioles 0.6–2.7 cm long, 10–25% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 9–25, prickles straight, broad-based, prickles 3–13 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, very sparse, 0.9–2 mm apart, 0.25–0.4 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 6–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.7–2 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, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 8–20, prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.5–1 mm apart, 0.4–1 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–2 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, sessile (rachis very short or absent), common peduncle absent, 3–5-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male or some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 4–12 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.6–0.9 mm thick at mid-point, prickles present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 60–100. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 0.5–5 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 12–25. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0.5–3 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis elliptic or deltate, 2–5.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 12–100 per flower, 0.5–5 mm long. Calyx stellae moderate to dense, white or transparent, 0.2–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–7, central ray 0.5–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs present. Corolla purple, 8–15 mm long, shallowly lobed or deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 5–6 mm long. Ovary glabrous or with stellate hairs only. Functional style 7.5–9 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate hairs only, stellae 0.2–0.25 mm across, stellae lateral rays 6–8, stellae central ray 1.5–2 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles 1–5 mm long. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 23–30 mm diameter, yellow, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 1–2.5 mm thick, pedicels 17–21 mm long, pedicels 1.5–3 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 2.9–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia. Qld: Moreton, Wide Bay, Kennedy South. NSW: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, South Western Plains. Wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, or rainforest margins, shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Classification. Naturalised. Subg. Leptostemonum. Common name: Apple of Sodom. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • leaf surface. • immature fruits. • mature fruits. • flowers.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
