| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.3–1 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey or brown. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–5 per decimetre, straight, broad-based, 1–6.5 mm long, 4–8 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.2–0.3 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves linear or narrow lanceolate or lanceolate, 3.6–9.4 cm long, 0.4–1.1 cm wide, 6.1–14 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–9 percent. Petioles 0.4–1.5 cm long, 9–22% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, very sparse or sparse or moderate density, 0.15–0.5 mm apart, 0.1–0.2 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, lateral rays porrect. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green or greenish-white, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs sparse or moderate or dense, 0.15–0.3 mm apart, 0.1–0.25 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, lateral rays porrect. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent or present, common peduncle 0–5 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 5–10-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 8–13 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical or deltate, 1–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae moderate or dense or very dense, yellow or white, 0.15–0.2 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 11–16, central ray 0 times as long as laterals. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 9–18 mm long, rotate, inner surface with simple hairs. Anthers 4.8–7.1 mm long. Filaments 0.7–1.7 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 9–10.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–5 per inflorescence, globular, 11–15 mm diameter, black, shiny, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta sessile, elliptical, interior dry, pericarp 0.1–0.2 mm thick, pedicels 10–16 mm long, pedicels 1–1.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds brown or black, 3.8–5.7 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Western Australia. Shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers and immature fruits.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
