Citation: Symon, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4:212 (1981).

Synonymy: Solanum petrophilum

Common name: None

Description:
An erect straggly shrub 0.5-2 m tall, sparsely branched; prickles to 1 cm long, straight, pale or dark-tinted, unequal, abundant on stems, peduncles and calyces, generally present on upper and lower leaf surfaces and the main vein of the corolla lobes; all parts with dense tomentum of stellate hairs, general appearance usually rusty-green, less often grey-green, concolorous; leaves 4-10 x 2-4 cm, oblong-ovate, margin undulate, with 5 or more shallow weakly developed bluntly rounded lobes, sinuses broad and shallow, leaf and lobe apex rounded or acute, base cuneate to truncate; petiole 1-2 cm long, relatively short and thick.

inflorescences numerous, usually erect cymes, with few to 12 flowers, from extra-axillary positions on the upper part of stems; peduncle 1-2 cm long, floral rhachis 3-10 cm long; pedicel 5-10 mm long: calyx tube c. 3 mm long; lobes narrow, tapering into linear acumens, together 5-10 mm long, midvein conspicuous; corolla 2.5-3.5 cm diam., rotate, emarginate, purple; filaments c. 2 mm long; anthers c. 5 mm long, oblong-lanceolate, relatively stout; ovary with few glandular hairs at the summit; style c. 1 cm long, curved, tinged purple.

Fruiting pedicels reflexed; calyx tube enlarged, lobes elongated and enclosing the fruit readily visible between them, all prickly; berry 1-1.5 cm diam., globular, yellowish when ripe, finally hard, pale, bony; seeds 1.5-2 mm long, lenticular, light-buff to a light grey-brown.

	Flowering and fruiting branch and a fruit.
Image source: fig. 574C in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Symon (1981) J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4:213.5

Distribution:  Confined to massive rocky outcrops. S.Aust.: NW, LE.   N.T. Conservation status: native Flowering time: April — Oct.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available