| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Herbaceous resprouter. 0.15–0.3 m high. Large stems bark furrowed, corky throughout.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or brown. Branchlet prickles 1–10 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–5 mm long, 13–20 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs short glandular or stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs dense, 0.5–0.8 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.2–0.5 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, rigid. Branchlet short glandular hairs sparse.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical, 3.5–6 cm long, 1.1–2.2 cm wide, 2.5–4 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex obtuse, base cuneate, oblique part 0–1.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–3 percent. Petioles 0.6–1.4 cm long, 17–25% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, moderate density or dense, 0.15–0.3 mm apart, 0.5–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.15 mm long, lateral rays 8–9, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs erect, straight, sparse, gland-tipped, 0.05–0.1 mm long. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface white to grey, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs dense to very dense, 0.05–0.1 mm apart, 0.6–0.9 mm diameter, stalks 0.1–0.2 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.4–1 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, solitary or cymose (pseudo-racemose), common peduncle absent or present, rachis prickles absent, 1–3-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 11–26 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.5–0.6 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–3 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 3–4.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae moderate to dense, transparent, 0.5–0.7 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 6–8, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs present. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white, 7–11 mm long, shallowly lobed. Anthers 4–5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 5–6.5 mm long, protruding between anthers, with short glandular hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 12 mm diameter, green, often streaked, 2-locular, placenta sessile, semi-circular, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.4–0.5 mm thick, pedicels 12–26 mm long, pedicels 0.6–0.9 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 2.7–3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Qld: Warrego. Red earths in mulga (Acacia aneura) dominated communities.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • holotype. • flower.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
