Group characteristics

Erect shrubs with usually shallowly or deeply lobed adult leaves. Stem prickles and branchlet prickles straight, not widened at base. Stellate hairs usually present in all parts. Inflorescences mixed branched and unbranched. Flowers bisexual, all of similar size, 5-merous, purple. Calyx usually without prickles, sometimes present. Corolla lobes without hairs on inner face. Stamens with anthers all of similar size. Ovary glabrous, with multicellular glandular hairs only, with stellate hairs only or with mixed stellate and glandular hairs. Mature fruits black, usually juicy, 1-locular, 6-12 mm diameter; calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit.

Distribution

3 species endemic in Australia.

Australian members of group

Members of the S. semiarmatum group of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum (Bean 2004).

S. coracinum

S. mitchellianum

S. semiarmatum

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.