Family: Solanaceae
Solanum eardleyae
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.
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Image source: fig. 574C in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Symon (1981) J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4:213.5
Distribution:
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Confined to massive rocky outcrops.
S.Aust.: NW, LE. N.T.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: April — Oct.
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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:
No text
Author:
Not yet available
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