| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1.5–3 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or yellow or brown or green. Branchlet prickles 600–1400 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–13 mm long, 15–20 times longer than wide, with scattered short glandular hairs on lower half. Branchlet hairs short glandular or stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate to dense, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–1.5 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready. Branchlet short glandular hairs sparse.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 7–17 cm long, 3.5–10 cm wide, 1.5–1.9 times longer than broad, deeply lobed throughout, lobes 3–4 on each side, lobes acute or obtuse, lobing index 2–7. Leaf apex acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 1.5–8 mm long, obliqueness index 2–7 percent. Petioles 1.7–4.5 cm long, 20–40% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 7–70, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 1–10 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, very sparse or sparse, 0.4–0.8 mm apart, 0.15–0.4 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–6, lateral rays ascending, central ray 0.7–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs erect, straight, sparse, not gland-tipped, 0.1–0.15 mm long. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface white to grey or yellowish, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 35–200, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–2.5 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–2 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) or branched (paniculate to corymbose), common peduncle 7–30 mm long, rachis prickles present, 10–30-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–10 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.5–0.7 mm thick at mid-point, prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 1–3 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present, 0–25 per flower, 0.5–2 mm long. Calyx stellae dense, transparent, 0.6–0.8 mm across, stalks 0–1.2 mm long, lateral rays 5–7, central ray 1–1.7 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs present. Corolla purple, 10–12 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 7–9 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles 0.5–3 mm long. Mature fruits 4–9 per inflorescence, globular, 10–12 mm diameter, black, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta not apparent, interior juicy, succulent, pericarp 0.1–0.2 mm thick, pedicels 8–14 mm long, pedicels 1.2–1.4 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2–2.8 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Moreton, Darling Downs. NSW: North Coast. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts), wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, or rainforest margins.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Common name: Gin's Whiskers. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • fruiting inflorescence. • young stem (prickles). • branchlet with fruit. • fruiting branchlet. • flowers.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
