| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1 m high. Large stems bark corky on trunk.
Branchlets. Branchlets terete or ridged. Branchlets white or yellow. Branchlet prickles 130–500 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 2.5–8 mm long, 13–20 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.7–1.2 mm diameter, stalks 0–1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.6–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 7.8–16 cm long, 2.4–7 cm wide, 2.2–3.2 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–9 mm long, obliqueness index 0–11 percent. Petioles 1.5–3.5 cm long, 17–27% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles present on midvein only, prickles 3–7, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 2–4 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, dense or very dense, 0.1–0.25 mm apart, 0.5–1.1 mm across, stalks 0–0.7 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, lateral rays porrect or ascending, 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 greenish-white or white to grey, prickles present on midvein only, prickles 2–10, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense or very dense, 0.15–0.25 mm apart, 0.9–1.3 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.5 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.7–1.3 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 4–26 mm long, rachis prickles present, 12–20-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 3–25 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles absent or present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 70–130. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 3–7 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0–10. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 2–6 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–7 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 9–19 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, transparent or purple, 0.7–0.9 mm across, stalks 0–0.8 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 13–23 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 5.9–7 mm long. Filaments 0.6–1.5 mm long. Filament attachment basal. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 15–16 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes more than half length of mature fruit. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, yellow or yellowish-green, firmly attached, leaving beaked appendage on calyx, pedicels 23–28 mm long, pedicels 1.7–2.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 3.3–4.6 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Western Australia. Shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • immature fruit. • flowers. • bisexual flower. • bush. • bush.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
