Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.3–0.8 m high. Juvenile branchlets with c. 7 prickles per dm. Juvenile branchlets prickles 7–10 mm long. Juvenile leaves ovate; deeply lobed throughout; with 2–5 pairs of lobes; lamina 5.5–7 cm long; lamina 3–4 cm wide; with 2–3 prickles on upper surface.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets grey, or brown. Adult branchlets prickles 3–10 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 4–11 mm long; 9–13 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs absent. Adult branchlets stellae absent.
Leaves. Adult leaves ovate, or broadly ovate; deeply lobed throughout; lobes 2–4 on each side; lobes acute, or obtuse; lobing index 7–22; lamina 2–5.5 cm long; lamina 0.9–2.5 cm wide; lamina 1.5–2.9 times longer than broad; apex obtuse, or acute; base cuneate or attenuate, or obtuse; oblique part 0–1.5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–5 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.3–1.2 cm long; 12–25 % length of lamina; prickles absent, or present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only; prickles 0–4; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 1–7 mm long; stellate hairs absent; stellate hair density absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs present only in vein depressions.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green; prickles absent, or present on midvein only; prickles 0–4; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary; cymose (pseudo-racemose); common peduncle absent, or present; common peduncle 0–2 mm long; rachis prickles absent; 2–5-flowered; with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 6–8 mm long; markedly thicker distally; 0.4–0.5 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis rostrate; 1–2.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve; 6–9 mm long; deeply lobed; inner surface glabrous. Anthers 2.5–4 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only. Functional style 4–6.5 mm long; erect; glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence; globular; 7–9 mm diameter; red; 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); placenta not apparent; mesocarp juicy, succulent; exocarp 0.2–0.3 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 10–19 mm long; 0.5–1 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow; 3–4.1 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Leichhardt, Port Curtis. Semi-evergreen vine thicket or brigalow/belah.
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • leaves.
The interactive key provides access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, and summaries of attributes within groups of taxa.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2005 onwards. Solanum species of Eastern Australia. Version: 8th October 2006. http://delta-intkey.com’.
