Solanum gympiense Symon, Austrobaileya 4: 433–435 (1995)

T: Wide Bay District: Gundiah, Qld, 21 June 1927, C. T. White 3527; holo: BRI.

Solanum sp. 2, Fl. S.E. Qld 2: 418 (1986).

A shrub to 1 m high, unarmed, with dense indumentum of stellate hairs, central cell as long as or much longer than lateral cells, somewhat floccose, sometimes viscid, one report says plants aromatic.  

Leaves broadly elliptic, (3-) 6–12 cm long, (2.5-) 4–7 cm wide; apex acute; base rounded; margins with shallow broadly triangular to rounded lobes, more rarely undulate-sinuate; petiole (0.5-) 1.4–3.0 cm long.  

Inflorescence a short cyme of 2–6 flowers from a mid to upper internodal position; peduncle (to first flower)5–20 mm long; rachis 5–25 mm long; pedicel c. 8 mm long; calyx c. 5–7 mm long, the lobes flattened, narrow, elliptic; corolla to 3 cm diameter (few available), stellate-rotate, divided nearly halfway, the lobes broadly triangular, pubescent outside, purple blue; staminal filaments short; anthers c. 5 mm long, slender, tapered upwards, poricidal; ovary broadly conical, glabrous; style c. 6 mm long.  

Berry globular to apiculate, 5–7 mm diameter, red at maturity; calyx lobes then elliptic, 7 mm long, 2.5–3 mm wide flattened, sub-leafy. Seeds irregularly discoid or flattened and sub-triangular to sub-reniform in outline, 2–2.5 mm long, minutely reticulate.

Bean's description of this species can be seen at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/www/gympiens.htm

The species is closely related to S. densevestitum F. Muell. from which it differs in its broadly elliptic leaves, shallow leaf lobing generally present and the presence of a peduncle bearing several flowers. There may also be a slight difference in fruit shape but this requires more field work to confirm.