Solanum Species of Eastern Australia
| Solanum Species of Eastern Australia | |
Habit and juveniles. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 0.7–1.8 m high. Juvenile stage unknown.
Branchlets. Adult stems bark thin, nondescript. Adult branchlets grey, or yellow, or rusty. Adult branchlets prickles absent, or present; 0–10 per decimetre; straight, acicular, or straight, broad-based; 6–10 mm long; 6–14 times longer than wide; glabrous, or with scattered stellate hairs on lower half. Adult branchlets hairs stellate. Adult branchlets stellae very dense; 0.15–0.4 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.4 mm long; lateral rays 8–11; lateral rays porrect, or ascending, or multiradiate; central ray 1–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped; thready.
Leaves. Adult leaves lanceolate, or ovate; entire; lamina 2.5–8.5 cm long; lamina 1.1–2.3 cm wide; lamina 2.3–3.6 times longer than broad; apex acute; base obtuse, or cordate; oblique part 0–3.5 mm long; obliqueness index 0–4 percent. Adult leaves petioles 0.4–1.3 cm long; 10–20 % length of lamina; prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface grey-green, or grey; prickles absent; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; stellate hair density moderate density to very dense. Upper leaf surface ordinary stellae 0.05–0.1 mm apart; 0.2–0.4 mm across; stalks 0 mm long; lateral rays 6–8; porrect, or ascending; central ray 0.7–1.3 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface Type 2 hairs present throughout; 0.5–1 mm apart.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface yellowish, or rusty; prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hair density very dense. Lower leaf surface stellae 0.05–0.1 mm apart; 0.2–0.4 mm diameter; stalks 0–0.3 mm long; lateral rays 7–9; lateral rays porrect; central ray 0.7–1.4 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 6–12 mm long; rachis prickles absent; 2–5-flowered; weakly andromonoecious. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 3–10 mm long; markedly thicker distally; 1–2 mm thick at mid-point; prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 2.5–4.5 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis rostrate, or attenuate; 1–10 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae very dense; yellow, or white, or brown or rusty; 0.3–0.5 mm across; stalks 0.1–0.4 mm long; lateral rays 7–10; central ray 0.8–1.5 times as long as laterals; central ray not gland-tipped. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve, or purple; 10–14 mm long; deeply lobed; inner surface densely stellate-hairy. Anthers 4.5–6.5 mm long. Ovary with Type 2 hairs only, or with stellate and Type 2 hairs. Functional style 8–10 mm long; erect; with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit; prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence; globular; 13–16 mm diameter; yellowish-green, or green, often streaked; 4-locular; placenta stalked, anvil-shaped; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 0.8–1.1 mm thick. Pedicels at fruiting stage 5–15 mm long; 0.8–2.5 mm thick at mid-point. Seeds pale yellow, or brown to black; 2.5–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Darling Downs, Burnett, Maranoa, Leichhardt, Warrego, Port Curtis. North-western slopes (NWS), Central western slopes (CWS), North western Plains (NWP). Shrubby eucalypt woodland, remote from rainforest, lancewood communities (dominated by Acacia catenulata, shirleyi, burrowii, etc.).
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’.
