| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.7–2 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlets grey or brown. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.3–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.05 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.1–0.3 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 6–14 cm long, 2.5–7.9 cm wide, 1.8–2.4 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–8 mm long, obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Petioles 1–2.8 cm long, 11–22% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae present, very sparse or sparse, 0.4–4 mm apart, 0.3–0.5 mm across, stalks 0–0.05 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.3–0.6 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 or greenish-white, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs sparse or moderate or dense, 0.25–0.8 mm apart, 0.4–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–0.5 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 absent, rachis prickles absent, 4–19-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 4-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–5 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.25–0.3 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–1.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis elliptic or deltate, 0.7–1.2 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae dense, white, 0.4–0.5 mm across, stalks 0–0.05 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, central ray 0.2–0.6 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white or mauve, 6–8 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface sparsely stellate-hairy. Anthers 3.7–5.2 mm long. Filaments 0.4–0.6 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 5.5–8 mm long, protruding between anthers, glabrous. Stigma unexpanded.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 2–9 per inflorescence, globular, 5.5–8 mm diameter, red or orange, shiny, interior juicy, succulent, pedicels 6–9 mm long, pedicels 0.7–0.8 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds white or pale yellow, 1.9–2.6 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts), semi-deciduous vine forest on sand, laterite or granite.
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’.