Family: Solanaceae
Solanum marginatum
Citation:
L.f., Suppl. 147 (1782).
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: White-edged nightshade.
Description:
A sparingly clonal shrub to 1.5 m tall; prickles to 1 cm long, straight, present on stems, petioles, upper and lower leaf surfaces and on the calyx of hermaphrodite flowers; stems and lower sides of leaves with a tomentum of close dense minute silvery-stellate hairs, sparse on the upper leaf surface except for the margin where a distinct band persists; leaves c. 12 x 8 cm, oval, with 7-11 rounded lobes, their apices rounded or obtuse, sinuses shallow and rounded, leaf margins somewhat sinuate-crenate, lower surface densely white-tomentose, upper surface dull-green except for a distinct pale tomentose edge, leaf base unequal or auriculate-cordate; petiole 2-2.5 cm long, densely white-tomentose, usually bearing a few prickles.
Inflorescence a short cyme of 1-5 hermaphrodite flowers with as many male flowers above; hermaphrodite flowers with pedicels 2-2.5 cm long, more stout and prickly; calyx prickly; lobes 5-10 x 3-5 mm, almost leafy, unequal, veins prominent; corolla 3-4 cm long, rotate, white or very pale-mauve, stellate-pubescent within and without; anthers sessile or nearly so, stout, c. 7 mm long, yellow; ovary densely white-stellate-pubescent; style c. 1 cm long, densely-pubescent; stigma green; male flowers similar, usually slightly smaller; calyx lobes less well developed, with fewer or no prickles; ovary lacking.
Fruits solitary or few together, globular, 3-4 cm diam., on strong stout deflexed pedicels c. 2.5 cm long, 5-6 mm thick just above the calyx; calyx lobes not appressed nor greatly enlarged; berry first marbled-green and white, later pale- to deep-yellow, skin rather thick, flesh greenish; seeds 2-2.5 mm long, thick, flattish, light-brown, with a fine granular surface.
| Flowering and fruiting branch and a fruit.
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Image source: fig. 576D in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Symon (1981) J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4:261.
Distribution:
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This species is grown as an ornamental; it was sparingly naturalised in the southern States of Australia.
S.Aust.: NL, MU, SL, SE. Vic.; Tas. Native to north-east Africa.
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Conservation status:
naturalised
Flowering time: Oct. — May but few records.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Author:
Not yet available
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