| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Sprawling or erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.2–0.3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles 40–260 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, 1.1–1.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate, 8.6–13.6 cm long, 3.1–5.3 cm wide, 2.1–2.8 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 3–8 mm long, obliqueness index 3–6 percent. Petioles 1.6–3.4 cm long, 18–25% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–4, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 2–3 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, sparse or moderate density, 0.5–1 mm apart, 1–1.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.9–1.3 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 greenish-white or white to grey, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate or dense, 0.25–0.4 mm apart, 1–1.7 mm diameter, stalks 0.1–0.6 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.6–1.1 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 16–38 mm long, rachis prickles present, 6–12-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 9–11 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.6–0.8 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 1–4 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 4–22 per flower, 1.5–4 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, white or transparent or brown or rusty, 1–1.2 mm across, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 5–7, central ray 0.9–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 13–15 mm long, rotate or shallowly lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 6–6.7 mm long. Filaments 0.2–0.3 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 7.5–9 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 2–3 mm long. Mature fruits 3–6 per inflorescence, globular, 17 mm diameter, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.8–1.4 mm thick, pedicels 12–16 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Cook, Burke. 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’.