| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1.5–4 m high. Large stems bark furrowed, corky throughout.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–3 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 4–7 mm long, 10–12 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.3–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 5–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.3–0.7 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 6.5–11 cm long, 3.5–5.5 cm wide, 1.6–2.1 times longer than broad, shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 3–4 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1.1–1.4. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base obtuse, oblique part 0–6 mm long, obliqueness index 0–8 percent. Petioles 1–2.2 cm long, 13–25% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–30, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 1–6 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, very sparse or sparse, 0.9–1.6 mm apart, 0.4–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1 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 green, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–15, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate to dense, 0.4–0.8 mm apart, 0.5–0.9 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.3–0.7 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 11–16 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 3–7-flowered, with some bisexual and some male flowers. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 5–10 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.5–0.8 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 2.5–7.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae moderate to dense, transparent, 0.3–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 5–7, central ray 0.7–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 7–12 mm long, shallowly lobed or deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 4.5–7.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 10–11.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 13 mm diameter, yellowish-green or green, often streaked, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete), placenta sessile, semi-circular, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 2.3–2.5 mm thick, pedicels 6–13 mm long, pedicels 0.5–0.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2.9 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Kennedy South, Kennedy North. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts), wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, or rainforest margins, semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers and leaves.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
