| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter or rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.2–0.6 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–30 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 0.5–13 mm long, 8–11 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.2–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 13–15, lateral rays porrect or multiradiate, central ray absent or present, central ray 0–0.7 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves broadly ovate or orbicular, 1–2.5 cm long, 0.9–2.8 cm wide, 0.8–1.4 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–1 mm long, obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Petioles 0.1–0.3 cm long, 6–18% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green or grey, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–2, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 1–7 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, moderate density to dense, 0.1–0.25 mm apart, 0.15–0.3 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 12–16, lateral rays porrect or multiradiate, central ray 0.1–0.5 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 very dense, c. 0.05 mm apart, 0.2–0.35 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 9–18, lateral rays porrect or multiradiate, central ray 0.3–0.8 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), common peduncle absent or present, common peduncle 0–4 mm long, rachis prickles absent or present, 4–6-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 2.5–7 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.5–0.8 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 2.5–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or white, 0.3–0.4 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 10–16, central ray 0.7–1.3 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 8–11 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 7–8 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 1–6 per inflorescence, globular, 8–11 mm diameter, brown or yellow, interior moist but not juicy, pedicels 3–8 mm long, pedicels 0.6–0.9 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 3.6–5.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Gregory South, Gregory North. NSW: North Far Western Plains. Shrublands in arid zone.
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’.