| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or brown. Branchlet prickles 5–10 per decimetre, straight, broad-based, 1.5–7 mm long, 5–8 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense or very dense, 0.25–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 8–12, lateral rays ascending, central ray 1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate, 4.8–7.6 cm long, 1.6–2.2 cm wide, 2.8–4.3 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate, oblique part 0–3 mm long, obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Petioles 0.5–0.8 cm long, 8–14% length of lamina, prickles absent or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, dense or very dense, 0.05–0.15 mm apart, 0.25–0.5 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 8–13, lateral rays ascending or multiradiate, central ray 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 very dense, 0.05 mm apart, 0.25–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 8–13, lateral rays ascending or multiradiate, central ray 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, cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle 4–10 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 6–11-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–5.5 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.8–0.9 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 0.5–1.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse or moderate or dense or very dense, yellow or purple or brown or rusty, 0.3–0.4 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 9–13, central ray 1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 12–16 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 5.1–5.4 mm long. Filaments 1.7 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 9 mm long, protruding between anthers, with stellate and short glandular hairs.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx prickles absent. Mature fruits pericarp 0.1–0.3 mm thick, pedicels 8–9 mm long, pedicels 1 mm thick at mid-point.
Distribution and habitat. Western Australia.
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’.