| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.2–0.4 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.3–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate, 2.8–8.5 cm long, 1.1–4.5 cm wide, 1.8–2.5 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–3 mm long, obliqueness index 0–7 percent. Petioles 0.8–2.6 cm long, 18–40% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, dense or very dense, 0.05–0.2 mm apart, 0.3–0.65 mm across, stalks 0.1–0.25 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–1.1 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 dense or very dense, 0.05–0.2 mm apart, 0.4–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0.1–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–1.1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface branched/dendritic hairs absent, short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle 2–15 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 1–3-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–13 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.9–1.3 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 3.5–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or rostrate or attenuate, 2–4.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or brown or rusty, 0.3–0.45 mm across, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.6–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 10–13 mm long, shallowly lobed, inner surface densely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.3–6.2 mm long. Filaments 1.2–1.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 7.5–9 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 12–17 mm diameter, yellowish-green, 2-locular, placenta sessile, semi-circular, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 1.8–2.3 mm thick, pedicels 9–22 mm long, pedicels 1.1–1.4 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow or brown, 3.1–3.4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Warrego, Mitchell. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest, red earths in mulga (Acacia aneura) dominated communities.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • plant (drought affected). • fruits.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
