| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Prostrate or sprawling. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.1–0.8 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets mauve to purple or yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles absent or present, 0–230 per decimetre, straight and acicular, 0.5–3 mm long, 6–9 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellate hairs very dense, 0.3–0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Branchlet short glandular hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves ovate (sometimes narrowly ovate), 4.1–8.3 cm long, 1.9–3.3 cm wide, 2.2–3.5 times longer than broad, entire. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0–10 mm long, obliqueness index 0–12 percent. Petioles 0.9–3 cm long, 18–42% length of lamina, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green or grey-green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, sparse or moderate density, 0.2–0.4 mm apart, 0.3–0.4 mm across, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 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 white to grey, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs very dense, 0.05 mm apart, 0.3–0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.1 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, lateral rays porrect, central ray 0.8–1.2 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 8–23 mm long, rachis prickles present, 3–5-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 4–9 mm long, prickles absent or present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–3.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or attenuate, 2–6 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent or present, 0–60 per flower, 0.5–5 mm long. Calyx stellae very dense, yellow or brown or rusty, 0.3–0.45 mm across, stalks 0–0.3 mm long, lateral rays 7–8, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla purple, 12–16 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 4.1–5.5 mm long. Filaments 2–2.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 11 mm long (c.), protruding between anthers or strongly bent near base, not touching anthers, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx hypanthium accrescent, enclosing most or all of mature fruit, prickles present, prickles 1.5–8 mm long. Mature fruits 1–2 per inflorescence, oblate, 15 mm diameter (c.), pedicels 8–14 mm long, pedicels 0.7–1 mm thick at mid-point.
Distribution and habitat. Northern Territory.
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’.