| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.7–1.2 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets rusty. Branchlet prickles 15–35 per decimetre, straight, broad-based, 1.5–8 mm long, 5–12 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs throughout lower part (most of prickle bearing hairs). Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.7–1 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.4 mm long, lateral rays 4–6, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 4.5–8.5 cm long, 3.5–7 cm wide, 1.2–1.6 times longer than broad, shallowly lobed throughout or deeply lobed throughout, lobes 3–4 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1.6–3.3. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base obtuse, oblique part 7–10 mm long, obliqueness index 14–16 percent. Petioles 1.1–3.4 cm long, 22–40% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density or dense, 0.2–0.4 mm apart, 0.45–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 5–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.6–1.2 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 yellowish or rusty, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–15, prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense, 0.15–0.25 mm apart, 0.7–0.9 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 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. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent, rachis prickles present, 5–14-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 8–30 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.3–0.7 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Pedicels with indument prominent on distal end and glabrous on proximal end. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 50–70. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 2–9 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0–8. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 1–3 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–4 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 1.5–8 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or brown or rusty, 0.5–0.9 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, central ray 0.6–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 10–22 mm long, rotate, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 5.4–7.3 mm long. Filaments 0.5–1.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 18 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 4–12 mm long. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, ellipsoidal or ovoid, 20–27 mm diameter, yellow, pedicels 25–30 mm long, pedicels 1.5–1.7 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 3.7–4.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens, Symon (1981).
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.