Line drawing by M. Szent Ivany J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4 (1981) 230, fig. 100, as S. prinophyllum.

Distribution map generated from Australia's Virtual Herbarium.

Synonymy

Solanum vicinum A.R.Bean, Austrobaileya 6: 725 (2004).

T: Qld, adjacent to Gambubal State Forest, NE of Killarney, 7 Oct 2000, A.R.Bean 16891; holo: BRI; iso: MEL, MO, NSW. an image of the type can be seen at http://delta-intkey.com/solanum/images/Sol_vicin.jpg

S. prinophyllum auct. non Dunal; Symon, J.Adelaide Bot Gard. 4: 228 (1981), p.p.

[S. xanthocarpum auct. non Schrader: F.M. Bailey, Queensland Fl. 1088 (1901)]

Description

Erect, rhizomatous perennial shrub, 0.2-0.9 m high. Juvenile branchlets with 200-500 prickles per dm, 4-9 mm long; leaves (in outline) broadly ovate, shallowly-lobed, with 3-5 pairs of lobes; lamina 6-7 cm long, 5-6 cm wide, with c. 100 prickles on upper surface. Adult branchlets brown or green; prickles 90-180 per decimetre, straight, acicular, 1-11 mm long, 12-18 times longer than wide; stellae sparse, 0.4-0.5 mm diameter, stalks 0-0.15 mm long; lateral rays 5-8, porrect; central ray 0.5-1.2 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.

Adult leaves ovate, shallowly lobed throughout; lobes 4-6 on each side, acute, lobing index 1.4-1.9; lamina 7.5-14 cm long, 4-9.5 cm wide, 1.5-2.1 times longer than broad, apex acute, base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 1.5-7 mm long, obliqueness index 1-8 percent; petioles 1.7-3.7 cm long, 18-30% length of lamina, prickles present. Upper leaf surface green; prickles 100-200, straight, acicular, 3-11 mm long, prickles present on mid-vein and lateral veins; stellate hairs distributed throughout; proto-stellae absent; ordinary stellae density sparse to moderate, 0.6-1.3 mm apart, 0.4-0.5 mm across, sessile; lateral rays 4-8, porrect; central ray 0.8-1.5 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Lower leaf surface green; prickles 100-200, straight, acicular, present on midvein and lateral veins; stellae very sparse to sparse, 0.7-2.2 mm apart, 0.5-0.7 mm diameter, sessile; lateral rays 4-8, porrect; central ray 0.5-1.5 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent.

Inflorescencesupra-axillary, pseudo-racemose, common peduncle 0-8 mm long, rachis prickles present; 3-8-flowered, flowers 5-merous; pedicels 6-15 mm long at anthesis, same thickness throughout, 0.3-0.7 mm thick at midpoint, prickles present. Calyx tube 3-4.5 mm long, lobes attenuate, 3.5-10 mm long; prickles present at anthesis, 50-100 per flower, 1-8 mm long; stellae moderate, yellow or white, 0.3-0.5 mm across, sessile, lateral rays 4-7, central ray 0.5-1 times as long as laterals, not gland-tipped; finger hairs absent; Type 2 hairs absent. Corolla purple, 11-18 mm long, rotate or shallowly lobed, inner surface glabrous; anthers 3.5-5 mm long; ovary with Type 2 hairs only; functional style 8-12 mm long, sigmoid, glabrous or with Type 2 hairs only.

Fruiting calyx with lobes less than or more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 1-8 mm long. Mature fruits 1 or 2 per inflorescence, globular, 24-30 mm diameter, purple, 2-locular; placenta in cross-section stalked, anvil-shaped; mesocarp moist but not juicy; exocarp 3-3.5 mm thick; pedicels 20-34 mm long in fruit, 1.3-2 mm thick at mid-point; seeds pale yellow, 1.9-2.4 mm long.

Description by Bean, reproduced with permission from Austrobaileya 6: 725 (2004).

Distribution and ecology

Solanum vicinum is found in northeastern N.S.W., as far south as Wauchope, extending into SE QLD where it is known from only a few locations, the most northerly being from the Conondale Ranges.

It is found either in or on the margins of rainforest, usually at relatively high altitude. Flowers are recorded from September to February; mature fruits from May, September and December. (Bean 2004).

Common name

Forest nightshade

Relationships

Formerly treated as northern populations of S. prinophyllum (Symon 1981). S. prinophyllum and S. vicinum differ by

·         denser prickles (90-180 prickles per 10 cm) of S. vicinum compared with S. prinophyllum (30-65 prickles)

·         inflorescences 3-8-flowered for S. vicinum compared with 1-3-flowered for S. prinophyllum

·         peduncle without flowers for up to 8 mm in S. vicinum compared with flowers for the whole length in S. prinophyllum

·         corolla 2-4 cm diameter in S. vicinum compared with 1-2 cm diameter in S. prinophyllum