 Photo: G.Leiper © G.Leiper |
 Photo: G.Leiper © G.Leiper |
 Distribution map generated from Australia's Virtual Herbarium. |
Synonymy
Solanum densevestitum F. Muell. ex Benth., Fl. Austral. 4: 456 (1868)
T: Araucaria Ranges, Qld, Dec. 1856, F. Mueller s.n.; syn: MEL; Upper Burnett River, Qld, F. Mueller s.n.; syn: K; Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, Qld, Dec. 1856, F. Mueller s.n.; lecto: MEL 12200; iso: K; fide D.E. Symon, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4: 142 (1981); New England, N.S.W., C. Stuart s.n.; syn.: K; Hastings River, N.S.W., Beckler s.n.; syn: K; Mt Lindsay, N.S.W., C. Moore s.n.; syn: NSW.
Description
Leafy, clonal shrub to 1 m, green, densely pubescent with stellate hairs; twigs and young growth hirsute-villous; prickles usually absent, occasionally present, to 9 mm long.
Leaves ovate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic; lamina mostly 6–9 cm long, 3–4 cm wide, slightly discolorous, mature leaves entire or almost so, the juvenile leaves shallowly lobed; petiole 1–3 cm long. Inflorescence short, 1–3–flowered; peduncle absent; pedicels c. 10 mm long, lengthened in fruit. Calyx 5–15 mm long; lobes usually elliptic to oblong, 4–12 mm long, leafy, slightly enlarged in fruit. Corolla stellate, shallowly incised, 25–30 mm diam., 4–5–lobed, violet. Anthers 4–5 mm long.
Berry globular, 6–7 mm diam., bright red, largely covered by calyx-lobes. Seeds 2–2.5 mm diam., pale yellow-brown. n=12.
The circumscription of this species has been narrowed since Symon (1981) and the Flora of Australia treatment. Since then, both S. stupefactum Symon and S. hapalum A.R.Bean have been removed from it. Below is reproduced Bean's description of this species (Bean 2004).
Erect, rhizomatous perennial shrub, 0.4-0.9 m high. Juvenile branchlets without prickles; leaves (in outline) broadly ovate, shallowly lobed, with 2-3 pairs of lobes; lamina c. 9 ? 6 cm, without prickles on upper surface. Adult stem prickles absent. Adult branchlets grey; prickles absent; stellae dense to very dense, 0.7-1.5 mm diameter, stalks 0-2 mm long; lateral rays 4-6, porrect; central ray 1.5-4 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.
Adult leaves ovate or broadly ovate, entire; lamina 5-10 cm long, 2.6-5.5 cm wide, 1.6-2 times longer than broad, apex acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0-5 mm long, obliqueness index 0-5 percent; petioles 0.9-3.4 cm long, 17-35% length of lamina, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface green; prickles absent; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae present; ordinary stellae dense, 0.2-0.4 mm apart, 0.5-1.1 mm across, sessile; lateral rays 4-6, porrect; central ray 3-6 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Lower leaf surface green; prickles absent; stellae dense, 0.1-0.3 mm apart, 0.7-1.6 mm diameter, stalks 0-0.5 mm long; lateral rays 4-8, porrect; central ray 2-5 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence supra-axillary, solitary or pseudo-umbellate, common peduncle 0-4 mm long; 1-3-flowered, with all flowers bisexual and 5-merous; pedicels 4-9 mm long at anthesis, same thickness throughout, 0.5-0.6 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube 1.5-2.5 mm long, lobes elliptic, 6-10 mm long; prickles absent at anthesis; stellae dense, transparent, 0.8-1.8 mm across, stalks 0-0.9 mm long, lateral rays 4 or 5, central ray 1.5-3 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple, 10-13 mm long, shallowly lobed, inner surface glabrous; anthers 4-5.5 mm long; ovary with stellate and Type 2 hairs; functional style 6-7.5 mm long, erect, with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruiting calyx with lobes exceeding mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 or 2 per inflorescence, globular, c. 7 mm diameter, red, 1-locular (septum absent or incomplete); placenta not apparent; mesocarp juicy, succulent; pedicels 9-12 mm long in fruit; seeds pale yellow, 2-2.2 mm long. Felty Nightshade.
Distribution and ecology
Occurs in coastal and subcoastal areas of south-eastern Qld and north-eastern N.S.W., in sand and basaltic soil.
Usually associated with wet sclerophyll forest or rainforest margins.
The records for the south coast of NSW on the AVH-generated map are in need of clarification.
Relationships
This species was treated as a part of S. discolor by Symon (1981). Bean (2004) notes that it is close to S. discolor , S. yirrkalense and S. fervens, all of which occur on Cape York Peninsula, but differs from them by its lower leaf surface being green and either lacking stellate hairs completely or with only a very sparse covering of them.
Bean also notes that specimens lacking flowers or fruits are easily confused with S. macoorai, but this has a more southerly distribution.
Treated as part of the S. densevestitum group of the subg. Leptostemonum (Bean 2004), together with S. gympiense, S. hapalum, S. innoxium, S. johnsonianum, S. nemophilum and S. ultimum .
Selected specimens
QLD: S of Massey Creek, Eungella N.P., Sep 1991, A.R.Bean 3682 (BRI);
As cited by Bean in his 2004 treatment of this species.
From the web
Treated as a native which can be confused with S. mauritianum on the South Coasts Weeds site where there is an image of flowers and leaves However this species does not occur naturally in this region and so the identification needs to be checked.
A photograph of this species by Hugh & Nan Nicholson can be seen on the Terania Rainforest Publishing Photo Library site.
An image of a flower and leaves can also be seen on the Bean interactive key site at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/images/soldensev002.jpg and on the Brisbane Rainforest Action and Information Network site
