Synonymy
Solanum jucundum A.R.Bean, Austrobaileya 6: 775 (2004)
T: Qld,
An image of the type specimen of S. jucundum A.R.Bean can be seen on the Bean site at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/www/jucundum.htm
Solanum sp. (Monto A.R.Bean 8817), Henderson, Names Distrib.
S. tetrathecum auct. non F.Muell.: Symon, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4: 176 (1981), p.p. (at least with respect to Moriarty 1553 and probably other specimens, as well as line drawing Fig. 69).
Description
Erect, rhizomatous perennial shrub, 0.7-1.8 m high. Juvenile stage unknown. Adult branchlets grey to yellow or rusty; prickles absent or present, 0-10 per decimetre, straight, acicular or broad-based, 6-10 mm long, 6-14 times longer than wide; stellae very dense, 0.15-0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0-0.4 mm long; lateral rays 8-11, porrect, ascending or multiradiate; central ray 1-1.5 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.
Adult leaves lanceolate or ovate, entire; lamina 2.5-8.5 cm long, 1.1-2.3 cm wide, 2.3-3.6 times longer than broad, apex acute, base obtuse or cordate, oblique part 0-3.5 mm long, obliqueness index 0-4 percent; petioles 0.4-1.3 cm long, 10-20% length of lamina, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface grey-green or grey; prickles absent; stellate hairs distributed throughout; protostellae absent; ordinary stellae dense to very dense, 0.05-0.1 mm apart, 0.2-0.4 mm across, sessile; lateral rays 6-8, porrect or ascending; central ray 0.7-1.3 times as long as laterals, not glandtipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs present throughout, 0.5-1 mm apart. Lower leaf surface yellowish, or rusty; prickles absent; stellae very dense, 0.05-0.1 mm apart, 0.2-0.4 mm diameter, stalks 0-0.3 mm long; lateral rays 7-9, porrect; central ray 0.7-1.4 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.
Inflorescence supra-axillary, pseudo-racemose, common peduncle 6-12 mm long, rachis prickles absent; 2-5-flowered, weakly andromonoecious, flowers 5-merous; pedicels 3-10 mm long at anthesis, markedly thicker distally, 1-2 mm thick at mid-point, prickles absent. Calyx tube 2.5-4.5 mm long, lobes attenuate or rostrate, 1-10 mm long; prickles absent at anthesis; stellae very dense, white to brown or rusty, 0.3-0.5 mm across, stalks 0.1-0.4 mm long, lateral rays 7-10, central ray 0.8-1.5 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla mauve or purple, 10-14 mm long, deeply lobed, inner surface densely stellate-hairy; anthers 4.5-6.5 mm long; ovary with Type 2 hairs only, or with stellate and Type 2 hairs; functional style 8-10 mm long, erect, with Type 2 hairs only.
Fruiting calyx with lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits 1 per inflorescence, globular, 14-16 mm diameter, yellowish-green or pale green with dark green streaks, 4-locular; placenta in cross-section stalked, anvil-shaped; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 0.8-1.1 mm thick; pedicels 5-15 mm long in fruit, 0.8-2.5 mm thick at mid-point; seeds pale yellow or brown to black, 2.5-3.5 mm long.
Bean's original description of S. jucundum, reproduced with permission from Austrobaileya 6: 775 (2004).
A detailed description of this species can also be seen in the Bean treatment of the eastern Australian species of Solanum at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/www/jucundum.htm
Distribution and ecology
Found in SE Qld in the Darling Downs and Maranoa Districts and also in N NSW in the NW Plains and Central W Slopes regions.
Occurs in shrubby eucalypt woodland on stony or sandy ridges.
Relationships
S. jucundum is closely related to S. tetrathecum and was separated from that species by Bean (2004). The two species can be distinguished by
· denser indumentum on the upper leaf surface of S. jucundum, this sparse to moderate in S. tetrathecum
· usually much longer calyx lobes (1-10 mm) of S. jucundum), these 1-3.5 in S. tetrathecum
· shrub habit reaching 1.8 m high for S. jucundum, herbaceous and 50 cm or less for S. tetrathecum
· style of S. jucundum with glandular hairs only, that of S. tetrathecum with mixed stellate and glandular hairs
Part of the S. macoorai group of subgen. Leptostemonum according to Bean (2004).
Notes
Fig. 69 in Symon (1981) was drawn to show the features of S. tetrathecum . Bean (2004) noted (p. 775) that he considered it to be an illustration of S. jucundum. However the illustration was done from the collection Redgen 39 which Bean still cites as representing S. tetrathecum and Bean has confirmed (pers.comm., March 2006) that the illustration does represent S. tetrathecum .
Derivation of epithet
From the Latin jucundus, pleasing or agreeable, a reference to well developed plants having a dense canopy of leaves and a showy display of flowers (Bean 2004).
Selected specimens
QLD:
NSW: NORTH WEST PLAINS: Narrabri West, Jun 1907, Boorman s.n. (NSW). CENTRAL WESTERN SLOPES:
Specimens cited by Bean (2004).
From the web
An image of the type specimen of S. jucundum A.R.Bean can be seen at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/www/jucundum.htm
Further information on this species in NSW can be seen on the PlantNET site.
Further information and links for this species can be found on the Solanaceae Source site.