Family: Solanaceae
Duboisia hopwoodii
Citation:
F. Muell., Fragm. Phyl. Aust. 10:20 (1876).
Synonymy: Anthocercis hopwoodii F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 2:138 (1861).
Common name: Pituri, pitchuri thornapple, pitcheri.
Description:
Erect shrub 1-3 m (rarely to 4 m) tall and up to 3 m diam.; leaves slightly fleshy, sessile to subsessile (rarely with the petiole up to 10 mm long), narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, 2-13 x 0.2-0.8, rarely to 1.3 cm.
Flowers in a narrow leafy panicle-like inflorescence; pedicel 1.5-5 mm long, glabrous, scarcely elongated in fruit; corolla 7-15.5 mm in total length, white with purple striations in the throat, pubescent outside with cottony branched hairs, glabrous inside; corolla lobes orbicular to broadly ovate, 2-5 x 2-5.5 mm.
Berry more or less globose, rarely ellipsoid, 3-6 mm diam., purple-black; seeds brown, 2.1-2.6 mm long.
| Flowering branch and flower with calyx and corolla removed. Duboisia hopwoodii x Grammosolen dixonii.
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Image source: fig. 563B in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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| Flowering branch with calyx and corolla removed.
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Image source: fig. 563A in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 582; Purdie et al. (1982) Flora of Australia 29:fig. 7.
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Distribution:
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On deep sandy soils of dunes and sandplain, in mallee or Acacia woodland, often with Triodia, Codonocarpus or Callitris.
S.Aust.: NW, LE, NU, GT, EA, EP, MU. Arid regions of all mainland States except Vic.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: all year but mostly Aug. — Nov.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
Contains the alkaloids nicotine and nor-nicotine and used by the Aborigines as an animal poison and at least to a limited degree, as a narcotic (though some records may refer to certain species of Nicotiana, also known as pituri). Toxic to horses, goats, sheep and camels. Plants thought to be hybrids with Grammosolen dixonii (F. Muell. & Tate)Haegi have been found near Berri and Renmark.
Author:
Not yet available
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