 Near Coolgardie. Photo: M. Fagg © M. Fagg |
 Line drawing by M. Szent Ivany, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4 (1981) 160, fig. 59. |
 Distribution map generated from Australia's Virtual Herbarium. |
Synonymy
Solanum nummularium S. Moore, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 34: 205 (1899)
T: Between Gibraltar and Coolgardie, W.A., Sept. 1895, S. Moore s.n.; holo: BM. An image of the hoptype can be seen on the Solanaceae Source site.
Description
Erect or rounded, intricate shrub to 1 m, sparingly clonal, usually rusty-green, densely pubescent with stellate hairs; hairs dense on lower leaf-surface, sparser on upper surface; prickles 5–12 mm long, conspicuous on stems, often paired at base of petioles, absent elsewhere.
Leaves orbicular to broadly orbicular; lamina 4–10 mm diam., sometimes larger, slightly discolorous, entire; petiole 2–4 mm long.
Inflorescence short, 1–2–flowered; peduncle to 5 mm long; pedicels 3–6 mm long, slightly longer in fruit. Calyx 2.5–5 mm long; lobes broadly triangular, 0.5–1 mm long. Corolla stellate, deeply incised, 20–25 mm diam., purple-blue. Anthers 5–6 mm long.
Berry globular, 10–15 mm diam., yellow. Seeds 2.5–3 mm diam., pale buff. n=12.
Distribution and ecology
Occurs in arid regions of southern W.A. on sandy plains and rocky rises.
Relationships
Closely related to S. orbiculatum Dunal ex Poiret.
According to Bean (2004), part of the S. esuriale group of subgen. Leptostemonum.
Selected specimens
W.A.: 60 km NE of Geraldton, A.M. Ashby 957 (AD); 37 km W of Kalgoorlie, R. Melville 4073 & D. Kemsley (MEL); near Mt Jackson, R.A. Saffrey 955 (PERTH).
From the web
Further information can be found on the FloraBase site together with a number of images.
Limited information and links for this species can be found on the Solanaceae Source site.