| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.4–1 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets terete or ridged. Branchlets white or grey or yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles 35–400 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–9 mm long, 7–11 times longer than wide, with stellate hairs throughout lower part. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.8–1.3 mm diameter, stalks 0–1.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 1–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, thready.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical or ovate, 4–9.5 cm long, 1.4–3.7 cm wide, 1.6–3.5 times longer than broad, shallowly lobed throughout or deeply lobed throughout, lobes 2–4 on each side, lobes obtuse, lobing index 1.2–5. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–8 percent. Petioles 0.8–2.1 cm long, 20–30% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey, prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–8, prickles straight and acicular or straight, broad-based, prickles 3–10 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, dense to very dense, 0.15–0.3 mm apart, 0.7–1 mm across, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 6–9, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 1–2.5 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 or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0–5, prickles straight and acicular or straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.1–0.2 mm apart, 0.8–1.2 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.5 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 1–1.8 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 absent or present, common peduncle 0–3 mm long, rachis prickles present, 7–11-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 5–23 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.7–1.3 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent or present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 40–125. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 2–6 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 0–15. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 1–5 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 6.5–11 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present. Calyx stellae very dense, white or transparent, 0.7–0.9 mm across, stalks 0–1.5 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 1–1.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 10–20 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 5.8–7.5 mm long. Filaments 2–2.7 mm long. Filament attachment dorsal. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 10–12.5 mm long, erect near base, then bent towards apex, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 2–6 mm long, lobes not recurved or strongly recurved. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular or ellipsoidal or ovoid, 21–30 mm diameter, yellow or yellowish-green, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior juicy, succulent, pericarp 2–2.5 mm thick, firmly attached, leaving beaked appendage on calyx, pedicels 23–48 mm long, pedicels 1.3–2.2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds black, 3.2–4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, Northern Territory. Qld: Gregory North, Burke. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest, shrublands in arid zone.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • plant. • small colony. • leaves and flowers. • plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
