| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1.8 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets terete or ridged. Branchlets grey or brown or green. Branchlet prickles 240–1400 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–10 mm long, 14–20 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs short glandular or stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate or dense, 0.4–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.15 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent or sparse.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 5.5–10.5 cm long, 1.8–6.5 cm wide, 1.5–3 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 3–4 on each side, lobes acute or obtuse, lobing index 1–1.9. Leaf apex acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–3.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–5 percent. Petioles 1.1–2.8 cm long, 18–30% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 8–90, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 1–8 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, very sparse to sparse, 1–3 mm apart, 0.25–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs present only in vein depressions.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface white to grey, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 2–55, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, c. 0.05 mm apart, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–1.5 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) or branched (paniculate to corymbose), common peduncle 21–40 mm long, rachis prickles present, 7–25-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–6 mm long, same thickness throughout or markedly thicker distally, 0.3–0.6 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 0.5–1.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical or deltate or attenuate, 1–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae moderate to dense, transparent, 0.25–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 5–8, 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, 7–10 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous or with stellate hairs only. Functional style 6.5–8.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous or with stellate hairs only, stellae c. 0.4 mm across, stellae lateral rays c. 8, stellae central ray c. 1 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 7–17 per inflorescence, globular, 8–10 mm diameter, black, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta not apparent, interior juicy, succulent, pericarp 0.1–0.2 mm thick, pedicels 8–10 mm long, pedicels 0.8–0.9 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow or brown or black, 1.8–2.4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Darling Downs, Burnett, Maranoa, Leichhardt, Warrego, Port Curtis. NSW: North-west Slopes. Semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah, shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowering plant. • inflorescence. • young vigorous plants.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
