| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.15–0.3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles 3–80 per decimetre, straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, 1–5 mm long, 6–12 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense, 0.6–1.1 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.6 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–1.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate or broadly ovate, 3–8 cm long, 1.7–4 cm wide, 1.6–3 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1–1.1. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–12 percent. Petioles 2.4–5.5 cm long, 55–115% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density to dense, 0.25–0.5 mm apart, 0.6–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–1.8 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 yellowish, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate or dense, 0.1–0.3 mm apart, 0.6–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.5 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), common peduncle 27–70 mm long, rachis prickles present, 3–4-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–12 mm long, same thickness throughout or markedly thicker distally, 0.5–0.9 mm thick at mid-point, prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–3.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 1–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present, 0 per flower or 20–100 per flower, 1–1.5 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow, 0.5–0.9 mm across, stalks 0–1.5 mm long, lateral rays 5–8, central ray 1–1.8 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 8–14 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–5.5 mm long. Filaments 2.6–3.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 6–10 mm long, strongly bent near base, not touching anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit, prickles 1–5 mm long. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, oblate or globular, 15–20 mm diameter, brown or green, often streaked, 2-locular or 4-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 1.3–1.7 mm thick, pedicels 15–30 mm long, pedicels 0.9–1.2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown, 2.3–2.8 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia. Qld: Cook, Burke. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • calyx hairs and prickles. • immature fruits. • plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
