| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.2–0.9 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets brown or green. Branchlet prickles 90–180 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 1–11 mm long, 12–18 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs sparse to moderate, 0.4–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.15 mm long, lateral rays 5–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped, rigid.
Leaves. Leaves ovate or broadly ovate, 7.5–14 cm long, 4–9.5 cm wide, 1.5–2.1 times longer than broad, shallowly lobed throughout, lobes 4–6 on each side, lobes acute, lobing index 1.4–1.9. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 1.5–7 mm long, obliqueness index 1–8 percent. Petioles 1.7–3.7 cm long, 18–30% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 100–200, prickles straight and acicular, prickles 3–11 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, very sparse or sparse, 0.6–1.3 mm apart, 0.4–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.5 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 green, prickles present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 100–200, prickles straight and acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very sparse to sparse, 0.7–2.2 mm apart, 0.5–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.5–1.5 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), common peduncle present, common peduncle 1–8 mm long, rachis prickles present, 3–8-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 6–15 mm long, same thickness throughout, 0.3–0.7 mm thick at mid-point, prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 3–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate, 3.5–10 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 50–100 per flower, 1–8 mm long. Calyx stellae moderate, yellow or white, 0.3–0.5 mm across, stalks 0 mm long, lateral rays 4–7, central ray 0.5–1 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 11–18 mm long, rotate or campanulate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 3.5–5 mm long. Ovary with short glandular hairs only. Functional style 8–12 mm long, strongly bent near base, not touching anthers, glabrous or with short glandular hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 1–8 mm long. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, globular, 24–30 mm diameter, purple, 2-locular, placenta stalked, anvil-shaped, interior moist but not juicy, pericarp 3–3.5 mm thick, pedicels 20–34 mm long, pedicels 1.3–2 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, 1.9–2.4 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Moreton, Darling Downs, Wide Bay. NSW: North Coast, Northern Tablelands, North-west Slopes. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts), wet eucalypt forest with rainforest understorey, or rainforest margins.
Classification. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • mature fruits. • holotype. • leaves and flowers.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
