| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate or sprawling. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.2–0.6 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or yellow or brown. Branchlet prickles 10–200 per decimetre, straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, 2–16 mm long, 6–8 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs short glandular. Branchlet stellate hairs absent. Branchlet short glandular hairs sparse.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 1.6–4.5 cm long, 1.1–2.8 cm wide, 1.4–1.7 times longer than broad, deeply lobed throughout, lobes 2–3 on each side, lobes acute, lobing index 2.3–10. Leaf apex acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0.5–11 mm long, obliqueness index 2–24 percent. Petioles 0.5–1 cm long, 20–30% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 3–10, prickles straight, broad-based, prickles 1–17 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent, absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs present only in vein depressions.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 2–8, prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle 2–4 mm long, rachis prickles present, 2–5-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–5 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.4–0.6 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–1.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 0.5–1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 1–4 per flower, 2–6 mm long. Calyx stellae absent. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla mauve, 4–5 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 1.5–2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 2.5–3.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles 2.5–9 mm long. Mature fruits 1–4 per inflorescence, globular, 8–11 mm diameter, brown or yellow, interior dry, pedicels 5–8 mm long, pedicels 0.7–1 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 3–3.8 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia. Qld: Cook, Burke. Saline littoral zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowering plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
