 Part of the type sheet of S. dissectum - R.W.Johnson 858, BRI. |
 Distribution map generated from Australia's Virtual Herbarium. |
Synonymy
Solanum dissectum Symon, Austrobaileya 4: 432–433 (1995)
T: Port Curtis District: West of Thangool, Qld, 2 July 1959, R. W. Johnson 858; holo: BRI; iso: BRI.
Solanum sp. 3 sensu E.M.Ross in T.D.Stanley & E.M.Ross, Fl. SE Queensland 2: 418 (1986), p.p.
Solanum sp. (Duaringa S.L.Everist), BRI Herbarium
Description
Small shrub to 50 cm tall; stems erect, reddish. Prickles 5–9 mm long, straight, scattered, 4–10 per 10 cm of stem in the few collections seen and a few on the mid-vein on the upper and lower surface of the leaves. All parts glabrous except for minute papillose hairs in leaf axils and towards the apex of the corolla lobes.
Leaves 2–6 cm long, the lamina 2–4 mm wide, broadly lanceolate in outline but the lamina deeply lobed with (1) 2 or 3 (or 4) lobes on each side, rarely reduced to 1 pair or absent; lower lobes shorter than mid lobes; lobes 5–15 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, the sinuses between the lobes rounded.
Inflorescence a short cyme c. 1 cm long bearing 1 or 2 prickles and 4 or 5 flowers; pedicel c. 7 mm long; calyx lobes c. 3 mm long, c. 2 mm wide at base, acumen 1 mm long; corolla deeply divided almost to base, pale mauve; lobes c. 7 mm long, c. 2 mm wide; anthers c. 3.5 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, sessile, poricidal; ovary globular, 1.5 mm diameter; style 4–5 mm long.
Fruiting pedicel c. 12 mm long, slightly thickened distally; calyx not much enlarged in fruit; berry c. 1 cm diameter (few fruits seen), red. Seeds broadly reniform in outline, c. 4 mm long, flattened.
Another detailed description of this species can be found on the Bean interactive key site at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/www/dissectu.htm
Distribution and ecology
Found in south-eastern Qld in the Biloela-Banana-Baralaba area. It occurs on heavy cracking soils, often in association with brigalow, Acacia harpophylla, or Eucalyptus thozetiana (Bean 2004).
Relationships
Solanum dissectum is one of the unusual species of subgen Leptostemonum which has prickles but lacks stellate hairs, a characteristic shared with S. pugiunculiferum from northern Australia.
S. dissectum is considered to be part of the red-fruited S. ferocissimum group of subgen. Leptostemonum with its closest relationships to S. ferocissimum and the recently described S. lythrocarpum . It differs from both species by its complete lack of stellate hairs and its deeply lobed leaves.
S. dissectum is placed in the S. ferocissimum group together with S. chenopodinum, S. corifolium, S. discolor, S. defensum, S. dryanderense, S. dysprosium, S. ferocissimum, S. fervens, S. inaequilaterum, S. latens, S. lythrocarpum, S. mentiens, S. parvifolium, S. shirleyanum, S. stelligerum and S. yirrkalense (Bean 2004).
Selected specimens
Qld: Leichhardt District: McCrae property, 80 km S of Duaringa, July 1966, Everist & McDonald 3 (BRI).
From the web
an image of the leaves can be seen at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/www/dissectu.htm
Further information and links for this species can be found on the Solanaceae Source site.