Citation: Symon, Trans. R.Soc. S. Aust. 95:227 (1971).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Shy nightshade.

Description:
A sprawling herbaceous perennial to 60 cm long, sometimes annual, stems relatively slender; prickles to 8 mm long, slender, straight, pale, on stems, petiole, calyx and less common or absent on peduncle, pedicel and leaf surfaces; all parts with tomentum of close dense stellate hairs, general appearance grey-green; leaves slightly discolorous, 3-8 x 2.5 cm, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, entire or repand with a number of shallow weakly developed lobes, sinus and lobe apices broad and rounded, leaf apex acute, base truncate to subcordate, usually very oblique.

Inflorescence a 1-4-flowered cyme, basal flower often adjacent to the stem; peduncle (if no basal flower) or floral rhachis 1-4 cm long, flowers clustered towards the end; pedicel c. 1 cm long; calyx tube 2-3 mm long, prickly, lobes 2-3 mm long, unarmed; corolla c. 1 cm diam., rotate, pale-lavender, frequently remaining unopened or opening tardily; filaments 1.5-2 mm long, incurved; anthers 2.5-3 mm long; ovary c. 1 mm diam., glabrous; style c. 5 mm long, pale; stigma green, at or below the level of the anther pores.

Fruiting peduncle 1.5-4 cm long; pedicel 2-2.5 cm long, usually markedly deflexed; calyx enlarged to cover the base of the fruit; mature berry c. 1 cm diam., globose, finally a pale yellow-green, or slightly flushed with purple, succulent, slightly translucent, very aromatic, readily shed without the pedicel; seeds 2.5-3 mm long, light-brown, minutely reticulate.

	Flowering and fruiting branch and a fruit.
Image source: fig. 574A in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 592.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: NW, LE, GT, EP, NL, MU.   W.Aust.; N.T. Conservation status: native Flowering time: May — Nov.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: Closely related to S. ellipticum R. Br. with which it may be confused, but distinguished by its corolla c. 1 cm diam., pale-lavender with more deeply cut lobes but the flowers often not opening.

Author: Not yet available