| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.1–0.3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or mauve to purple or brown. Branchlet prickles 25–120 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–6 mm long, 7–11 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs throughout lower part. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.4–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.4 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves broadly ovate, 2.1–3.8 cm long, 1.3–2.2 cm wide, 1.5–1.8 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–3.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–10 percent. Petioles 0.9–2.2 cm long, 32–63% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, dense to very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.3–0.5 mm across, stalks 0–0.25 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 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 white to grey, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, 0.05 mm apart, 0.4–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.3 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 3–9 mm long, rachis prickles present, 1–2(–3)-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–8 mm long, prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 20 per flower, 0.5–1 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or white, 0.25–0.35 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 7–9 mm long, rotate or shallowly lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 2.7–3.1 mm long. Filaments 0.6–0.8 mm long. Functional style protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit, prickles 2–6 mm long. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, oblate, 13–15 mm diameter, green, often streaked, 4-locular, pedicels 8–14 mm long, pedicels 0.6 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown, 1.8–2 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory.
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’.