Synonymy
Solanum dryanderense A.R.Bean, Austrobaileya 6: 695 (2004).
T: c. 15 km N of Proserpine, near crest of ridge leading to east summit of Mt Dryander, 21 July 1974, R.J.Henderson H2214, V.Moriarty & J.Swan; holo: BRI.
Solanum sp. (Mt Dryander G.P.Guymer 1743), Henderson, Names Distrib. Qld Plants (2002).
Description
Erect, rhizomatous perennial shrub, 1-3 m high. Juvenile stage unknown. Adult branchlets grey or brown; prickles absent or present, 0-10 per decimetre, straight, acicular, 2-6 mm long, 10-18 times longer than wide; stellae very dense, 0.4-0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0-0.2 mm long; lateral rays 6-13, porrect or multiradiate; central ray 0.7-2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.
Adult leaves ovate, entire; lamina 5-10 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, 2.1-3.2 times longer than broad, apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0-1 mm long, obliqueness index 0-2 percent; petioles 0.2-1.1 cm long, 4-11% length of lamina, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface green; prickles 0-2, straight, acicular, 1-6 mm long, prickles absent or present on midvein only; stellate hairs absent, or confined to midrib; ordinary stellae absent from surface; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Lower leaf surface yellowish; prickles absent; stellae dense, 0.1-0.25 mm apart, 0.4-0.6 mm diameter, stalks 0.15-0.25 mm long; lateral rays 6-8, porrect; central ray 0.7-1.5 times as long as laterals, not glandtipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence supra-axillary, solitary or pseudoumbellate, common peduncle 0-1 mm long; 1 or 2-flowered, flowers 5-merous; pedicels c. 9 mm long at anthesis, same thickness throughout, 0.4-0.5 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx prickles absent at anthesis; stellae moderate, transparent, c. 0.4 mm across, stalks 0-0.1 mm long, lateral rays 6-8, central ray 0.7-1.2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. 6-7 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface glabrous; anthers c. 5 mm long; functional style c. 6 mm long, with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruiting calyx with lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 6-7 mm diameter, red, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); mesocarp juicy, succulent; pedicels 15-20 mm long in fruit, 0.5-0.6 mm thick at mid-point; seeds pale yellow, 3.5-4 mm long.
Bean's original description of S. dryanderense, reproduced with permission from Austrobaileya 6: 695 (2004).
Another detailed description of this species can be found on the Bean interactive key site at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/www/dryander.htm
Distribution and ecology
Known only from the Mt Dryander region near Proserpine, Qld. It is found in rainforest on steep ridges above 200 m altitude.
Relationships
A poorly collected species, closely related to S. shirleyanum. The two differ in the morphology of the stellate hairs. The stellate hairs of the lower leaf surface are stalked in S. dryanderense while they are sessile in S. shirleyanum .
S. dryanderense is placed in the S. ferocissimum group of subgen. Leptostemonum together with S. chenopodinum, S. corifolium, S. defensum, S. dissectum, S. discolor, 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).
Derivation of epithet
Named after Mt Dryander, near Proserpine, the only known locality for this species.
From the web
An image of the type specimen can be seen on the Bean interactive key site at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/images/Sol_dryan.jpg
Further information and links for this species can be found on the Solanaceae Source site.