| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.7–1.4 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or mauve to purple. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–3 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 4–6 mm long, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense or very dense, 0.25–0.4 mm diameter, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves linear or narrow lanceolate, 3–9.6 cm long, 0.3–1.5 cm wide, 6–10 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–3 mm long, obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Petioles 0.3–1.7 cm long, 11–21% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green, prickles absent or present on midvein only. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, sparse to moderate density, 0.1–0.3 mm apart, 0.15–0.25 mm across, lateral rays 4–8, central ray 0–1 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 dense or very dense, 0.3–0.5 mm diameter, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0–0.5 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), rachis prickles absent, 1–4-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male or some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 10–13 mm long, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense, transparent or purple, 0.25–0.5 mm across, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 9–13 mm long, rotate. Anthers 4–5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only or with stellate and short glandular hairs. Functional style 7.5–9 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 per inflorescence, globular, 14–17 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 2-locular, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.5–0.7 mm thick, pedicels 17–23 mm long. Seeds white or pale yellow, 2.6–2.8 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. New South Wales. NSW: Northern Tablelands. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
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’.