Solanum nemophilum F. Muell., Fragm. Phytogr. Austral. 2: 161 (1861) 

S. nemophilum var. typicum Domin, Biblioth. Bot. 89: 584 (1929) nom. illeg. 

T: Between the Mackenzie and Dawson Rivers, Qld, coll. unknown; lecto: MEL 12201; iso: K; fide D.E. Symon, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4: 144 (1981).

Shrub to 1.5 m, drab green, densely pubescent with stellate hairs; prickles generally absent, occasionally present on stems.  

Leaves elliptic, ovate-lanceolate or rarely ovate; lamina mostly 3–6 cm long, 1.5–2.5 cm wide, slightly discolorous, entire; petiole 5–10 mm long.  

Inflorescence short, 1–4–flowered; peduncle to 5 mm long; pedicels c. 5 mm long. Calyx 5–8 mm long; lobes linear-oblong or narrowly triangular, 2–5 mm long, slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla stellate, shallowly incised, 15–25 mm diam., purple-blue. Anthers 3–5 mm long.  

Berry globular, 5–8 mm diam., bright red, more or less covered by calyx-lobes. Seeds c. 2 mm long, pale. n=12.

Flora of Australia 29: 129 (1981)

The description of this species by Bean (2004) is reproduced here with permission. The species concept of Bean is narrower than that of Symon and species treated as S. nemophilum by Symon are now also encompassed in S. hapalum and S. innoxium .

Erect, rhizomatous perennial shrub, 0.3–0.6 m high. Juvenile branchlets with 0–5 prickles per dm, 2–3 mm long; leaves (in outline) ovate, entire; lamina c. 4 × 2 cm, with 0–4 prickles on upper surface. Adult stem prickles absent. Adult branchlets white or grey; prickles absent; stellae very dense, 0.3–1 mm diameter, stalks 0–0.6 mm long; lateral rays 7 or 8, porrect; central ray 0.7–1.2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.

Adult leaves ovate, entire; lamina 2.5–7 cm long, 1.2–2.8 cm wide, 1.8–3 times longer than broad, apex obtuse or acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0–3 mm long, obliqueness index 0–5 percent; petioles 0.4–1.4 cm long, 15–35% length of lamina, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface grey-green; prickles absent; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; ordinary stellae dense, 0.1–0.3 mm apart, 0.4–0.7 mm across, stalks 0.1–0.3 mm long; lateral rays 7 or 8, porrect; central ray 0.7–1.8 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Lower leaf surface green or yellowish; prickles absent; stellae dense to very dense, 0.05–0.15 mm apart, 0.5–0.7 mm diameter, stalks 0.2–0.4 mm long; lateral rays 7 or 8, porrect; central ray 0.5–1.2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.

Inflorescence supra-axillary, pseudo-umbellate, common peduncle 0–3 mm long; 3–5-flowered, with all flowers bisexual and 4 or 5-merous; pedicels 4–7 mm long at anthesis, same thickness throughout, 0.9–1 mm thick at midpoint, prickles absent. Calyx tube 1–2 mm long, lobes elliptic, 2.5–7 mm long; prickles absent at anthesis; stellae very dense, white, 0.4–1 mm across, stalks 0–0.25 mm long, lateral rays 7 or 8, central ray 0.8–1.2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple, 7–10 mm long, rotate or shallowly lobed, inner surface glabrous; anthers 3–4 mm long; ovary with Type 2 hairs only; functional style 5.5–8 mm long, erect, with Type 2 hairs only.

Fruiting calyx with lobes exceeding mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 4.5–9 mm diameter, red, glabrous or with a few scattered Type 2 hairs, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); placenta not apparent; mesocarp juicy, succulent; exocarp 0.2–0.25 mm thick; pedicels 6–11 mm long in fruit, 0.8–1.2 mm thick at mid-point; seeds pale yellow, 2–2.3 mm long.