| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Sprawling or erect. Shrub. 0.6–1.2 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets white or grey or brown. Branchlet prickles 900–1360 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–6 mm long, 11–15 times longer than wide, glabrous or with stellate hairs only at base, with 0–5 stellate hairs. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.25–0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 3–6, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves elliptical or ovate, 5.2–14 cm long, 2.3–7.2 cm wide, 1.6–2.3 times longer than broad, entire or shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 3 on each side, lobes acute or obtuse, lobing index 1–1.3. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse or cordate, oblique part 2.5–16 mm long, obliqueness index 10–13 percent. Petioles 0.6–2.3 cm long, 12–25% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–3, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 2–3 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, moderate density or dense, 0.25–0.5 mm apart, 0.4–0.6 mm across, stalks 0–0.05 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.7–1.2 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 greenish-white, prickles absent or present on midvein only, prickles 0–10, prickles straight, broad-based. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs moderate or dense, 0.2–0.35 mm apart, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.15 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect or ascending, central ray 0.5–0.9 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, rachis prickles present, 10–15-flowered, with one bisexual flower, the rest male. Flowers 5-merous. Flowers markedly dimorphic, with larger pricklier basal flower(s). Pedicels at anthesis 2.5–11 mm long (male), same thickness throughout, prickles present. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 1500–2000. Calyx prickles on basal bisexual flowers 2–11 mm long. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 450–600. Calyx prickles on distal male flowers 1–7 mm long. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–2 mm long (male). Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 6–10 mm long. Calyx stellae dense or very dense (male), transparent, 0.25–0.4 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 5–8, 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, 10–13 mm long (male), rotate, outer surface lacking prickles. Anthers 7–7.6 mm long. Filaments 0.5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes exceeding mature fruit. Fruiting calyx prickles 2300–2700. Fruiting calyx prickles 5–14 mm long, lobes strongly recurved. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 23–26 mm diameter, white, pedicels 20–29 mm long. Seeds black, 2.7–2.9 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory. Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest.
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’.