Solanum magnifolium F.Muell.

Solanaceae

Mueller F. (1867) Fragm. 6: 27. Type: Queensland, Murray River (Cardwell), Aug. 1867, J. Dallachy s. n.; Holo: MEL (MEL11658).

Nightshade

Usually flowers and fruits as a weak-stemmed shrub or scrambler about 2-4 m tall.

Leaves rather variable depending on the size of the plant. Leaf blades about 6-17 x 3.5-8 cm, margins smooth or sinuate. Straight spines present or absent on the twigs, petioles and leaves. Lower leaf surface clothed in small stellate hairs, upper leaf surface much more sparsely clothed. Petioles about 1.5-2 cm long.

Pedicels about 8-15 mm long. Calyx about 5-7 mm long, lobes 3-4 mm long, outer surface clothed in stellate hairs. Corolla about 25-30 mm diam., outer surface clothed in stellate and simple hairs. Anthers about 4.5-6 mm long, filaments flattened or winged. Style hairy, stigma green.

Fruits ovoid, about 15-25 mm diam. Calyx stellate hairy, persistent at the base of the fruit. Pedicels to 30 mm long. Seeds about 2.5 mm long, immersed in pulp. Embryo coiled, cotyledons no wider than the radicle but only about 1/5 of the length of the embryo.

Cotyledons ovate or elliptic, ciliate, about 7-12 x 4-6 mm, petioles 5 mm long or more. First pair of leaves alternate, hairy, margins toothed or lobed. At the tenth leaf stage: upper surface much more sparsely hairy, lower surface clothed in small stellate hairs. Stem, petiole and both the upper and lower leaf blade surfaces armed with straight spines about 4-9 mm long.

Endemic to NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 750 m. Grows in disturbed areas in well developed lowland and upland rain forest.

Solanum stelligerum var. magnifolium (F. Muell.) Benth., Flora Australiensis 4: 451(1868). Solanum dallachii Benth., Flora Australiensis 4: 456(1868), Type: Queensland, Rockingham Bay, Dallachy; lecto: K; iso: G, MEL. Fide D. E. Symon, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4: 245 (1981). Solanum repandum G.Forst., Florulae Insularum Australium Prodromus : 18(1786), Type: Marchionis et Societatis insulae.