| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.3–0.9 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets brown or green. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–6 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 0.5–5 mm long, 7–10 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs short glandular or stellate or absent. Branchlet stellate hairs absent or sparse to moderate, 0.2–0.3 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs sparse or dense.
Leaves. Leaves narrow lanceolate or lanceolate, 5–9.5 cm long, 1.1–1.5 cm wide, 4.7–7 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–2.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–3 percent. Petioles 0.9–2.1 cm long, 11–23% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–4, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 3–7 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent or confined to midrib, absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs present throughout, 0.1–0.5 mm apart.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–3, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence leaf-opposed, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent or present, common peduncle 0–7 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 3–8-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 4–5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 9–24 mm long, same thickness throughout or markedly thicker distally, 0.4–0.7 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 2–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent to very sparse to sparse, white, 0.15–0.3 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, central ray 0–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs present. Corolla purple, 7–11 mm long, shallowly lobed or deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3–5 mm long. Ovary glabrous or with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 5.5–7 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence, globular, 8–11 mm diameter, red, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta not apparent, interior juicy, succulent, pericarp 0.4–0.5 mm thick, pedicels 18–24 mm long, pedicels 0.6–0.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 3–3.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Burnett. Lancewood communities (dominated by Acacia catenulata, shirleyi, burrowii, etc.).
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
