| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1.2 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or brown. Branchlet prickles 1–20 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 0.5–7 mm long, 10–18 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs short glandular or stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate to dense, 0.2–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, rigid. Branchlet short glandular hairs sparse.
Leaves. Leaves linear or narrow lanceolate, 2.5–7 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide, 3.7–7.5 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–3 mm long, obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Petioles 0.2–0.9 cm long, 7–16% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs confined to midrib or distributed throughout, protostellae absent, absent from surface or very sparse to sparse, 0.8–5 mm apart, 0.3–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 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 or yellowish, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, c. 0.05 mm apart, 0.2–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–1 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, solitary or cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent or present, common peduncle 0–4 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 1–8-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–13 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.4–0.7 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 1–3 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense, yellow or white, 0.25–0.4 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.2–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 7–9 mm long, shallowly lobed or deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 3.5–6.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only or with stellate and short glandular hairs, stellae 0.3–0.4 mm across, stellae lateral rays 7–8, stellae central ray c. 0.3 times as long as laterals.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–6 per inflorescence, globular, 6–8 mm diameter, red, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta not apparent, interior juicy, succulent, pedicels 11–27 mm long, pedicels 0.5–0.7 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 1.9–2.3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Darling Downs, Burnett, Maranoa, Leichhardt, Warrego, Port Curtis, Mitchell, Kennedy South, Kennedy North. NSW: North-west Slopes, North Western Plains. Semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah, 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’.