Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia
Habit. Prostrate, annual or herbaceous resprouter, 0.15–0.25 m high.
Branchlets. Branchlets yellow or rusty or brown. Branchlet prickles present, 70–180 per decimetre, straight, acicular, 1–6 mm long, 15–20 times longer than wide, glabrous. Branchlet hairs stellate. Branchlet stellae dense or very dense. Branchlet stellae lateral rays 8–15, porrect or ascending or multiradiate. Branchlet stellae central ray 1–2.5 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped or gland-tipped. Branchlet Type 2 hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or ovate, entire or shallowly lobed throughout. Leaf lobes 0 on each side or 2–3 on each side, obtuse, lobing index 1–1.1. Leaves 2.8–4.7 cm long, 1.2–3.6 cm wide, 1.2–2.4 times longer than broad. Leaf apex obtuse, base obtuse or cordate. Leaf oblique part 0–4.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0–10 percent. Petioles 1.4–3.1 cm long, 40–70% length of lamina, prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green. Upper leaf surface prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs distributed throughout, protostellae absent, hair density moderate density or dense. Upper leaf surface stellae stalks 0–0.1 mm long. Upper leaf surface stellae lateral rays 6–8, porrect. Upper leaf surface stellae central ray 1.1–2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green or greenish-white. Lower leaf surface prickles absent or present on midvein only, 0–10, straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density moderate or dense. Lower leaf surface stellae stalks 0–0.1 mm long. Lower leaf surface stellae lateral rays 7–8, porrect. Lower leaf surface stellae central ray 1.2–2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped or gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose). Inflorescence common peduncle 8–21 mm long. Inflorescence rachis prickles present. Inflorescence 1–5-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 7–14 mm long, same thickness throughout, prickles present. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate or rostrate, 2–4 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis present, 10–25 per flower, 1.5–3 mm long. Calyx stellae dense, lateral rays 6–8. Calyx stellae central ray 1.2–2.2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped or gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent, Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla white or mauve, 6–9 mm long, rotate, inner surface glabrous. Anthers 2–2.8 mm long. Filaments 1.2–1.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 5–6 mm long, erect near base, then bent, displacing one anther, glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit or lobes more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 1.5–5 mm long. Mature fruits 1–3 per inflorescence, globular, 9–12 mm diameter, yellow, 2-locular. Mature fruits placenta sessile, semi-circular. Mature fruits interior juicy, succulent or moist but not juicy, pericarp 0.4–0.8 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 15–23 mm long. Seeds white or pale yellow, 2–2.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Western Australia. Qld: Darling Downs, Maranoa, Warrego, Mitchell, Kennedy South, Burke. NSW: North Western Plains, North Far Western Plains. Red earths in mulga (Acacia aneura) dominated communities, shrublands in arid zone.
Miscellaneous. Subg. Leptostemonum. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • flowers. • flower. • whole plant. • mature fruits. • large plant.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 29th June 2013. http://delta-intkey.com’.