| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Annual or non-rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.4–1.2 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlets ridged. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs short glandular or simple or absent. Branchlet stellate hairs absent. Branchlet simple hairs absent or antrorse, curved, not gland-tipped, 0.1–0.25 mm long, short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 3–10 cm long, 1.5–5.5 cm wide, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 0 on each side or 3–6 on each side, lobes obtuse. Leaf base cuneate. Petioles 1–4 cm long, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent, protostellae absent, absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent or antrorse, curved, very sparse or confined to major veins or sparse, not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent or present throughout.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent or antrorse, curved, very sparse or confined to major veins or sparse, not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent or present only on veins.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, umbellate, common peduncle 8–15 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 5–9-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–8 mm long, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis hemispherical or deltate, 0.5–1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent. Calyx simple hairs present. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white, 2–5 mm long, deeply lobed. Anthers 1–1.6 mm long. Functional style 2–3.6 mm long, protruding between anthers or strongly bent near base, not touching anthers, with simple hairs.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent, lobes strongly recurved. Mature fruits globular, 4–8 mm diameter, black, shiny, pedicels 18–25 mm long. Seeds 1.2–1.8 mm long. Stone-cell granules absent or present.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia. Qld: Moreton, Darling Downs, Wide Bay, Burnett, Maranoa, Cook, Leichhardt, Warrego, Port Curtis, Mitchell, Kennedy South, Kennedy North, Burke. NSW: North Coast, Central Coast, South Coast, Central Tablelands, North-west Slopes, Central-west Slopes, South Western Plains.
Classification. Naturalised. Sect. Solanum. Common name: Glossy Nightshade. Data source: Fl of NZ, Fl of SEQ, Henderson 1974.
Illustrations. • flowers and fruits. • flowers. • flowering and fruiting plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
