Part of Fig. 32, S. lasiocarpum (as S. ferox), J. Adelaide Bot Gard. 4: 107 (1981) by M. Szent-Ivanyi.

S. quitoense (not in Australia) showing characteristic hairy fruit of the group. Photo by Quimbaya from Flickr

Group characteristics

Erect shrubs with shallowly lobed adult leaves. Stem prickles and branchlet prickles straight, widened or not at base. Stellate hairs usually present in all parts. Inflorescences not branched. Flowers more or less bisexual (weakly andromonoecious), all of similar size, 5-merous, white. Calyx without prickles. Corolla lobes sparingly or without hairs on inner face. Stamens with anthers all of similar size. Ovary with stellate hairs only. Mature fruits orange, moist but not juicy, 25-35 mm diameter, densely stellate hairy (as is ovary); calyx lobes less than half length of  mature fruit.

Distribution

12 species worldwide, 1 endemic in Australia.

Australian members of group

Members of the S. quitoense group of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum

S. lasiocarpum

See Bean, A.R. (2004). The taxonomy and ecology of Solanum subg. Leptostemonum (Dunal)Bitter (Solanaceae) in Queensland and far north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Austrobaileya 6: 639-816.