Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.5–1 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult branchlets mauve, or brown. Adult branchlets prickles 25–50 per decimetre; straight, acicular; 3–8 mm long; 9–12 times longer than wide; glabrous. Adult branchlets hairs Type 2, or stellate. Adult branchlets stellae sparse to moderate; 0.25–0.5 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.1 mm long; lateral rays 4–8; lateral rays porrect; central ray absent, or present; central ray 0–4 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; rigid. Adult branchlets Type 2 hairs sparse.
Leaves. Adult leaves ovate; shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 4–5 on each side; lobes acute; lobing index 1.3–1.6; lamina 7–10.5 cm long; lamina 3.5–5 cm wide; lamina 1.9–2.2 times longer than broad; apex acute, or acuminate; base obtuse; oblique part 0–5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–6 percent. Adult leaves petioles 1.3–3.5 cm long; 20–35 % length of lamina; prickles present.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 30–50; prickles straight, acicular; prickles 2–8 mm long; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae present; stellate hair density sparse. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.5–0.8 mm apart; 0.25–0.5 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–5; porrect; central ray 0.5–3 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green; prickles present on midvein and lateral veins; prickles 11–17; prickles straight, acicular. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density moderate. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.4–0.8 mm apart; 0.5–0.8 mm diameter; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–6; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0–1 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Lower leaf surface simple hairs absent. Lower leaf surface Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence supra-axillary; cymose (pseudo-racemose); common peduncle 17–35 mm long; rachis prickles present; 12–15-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 8–11 mm long; same thickness throughout; 0.3–0.6 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2–2.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis attenuate; 2–3.5 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very sparse to sparse; transparent; 0.15–0.2 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 4–5; central ray 1–2 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs present. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple; 10–14 mm long; shallowly lobed, or deeply lobed. Anthers 5–5.8 mm long. Functional style erect; glabrous.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence; globular; 7 mm diameter. Pedicels at fruiting stage 15 mm long; 0.7 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow; 2.5–3 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland. Cook. Semi-deciduous vine forest on sand, laterite or granite.
Miscellaneous. Data source: specimens.
Illustrations. • type specimen.
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’.
