Common name: Violet Nightshade
Solanum silvestre A.R.Bean APNI* Description: Erect shrub 1–1.8 m high, with densely stellate-hairy branchlets; prickles usually sparse on branches, often on leaves and rarely on calyx; absent elsewhere.
Leaves elliptical, 5–10 cm long, 2–3.5 cm wide, margins entire or sinuate; upper surface green, sparsely stellate-hairy, veins slightly impressed; lower surface yellow to white, densely stellate-tomentose, veins prominent; petiole 0.9–2.2 cm long. Juvenile leaves 6.5–14 cm long, shallowly lobed.
Inflorescences 3–7-flowered; peduncle 6–16mm long; pedicels 7–12 mm long. Calyx 6–12.5 mm long; lobes 2.5–8.5 mm long, often attenuate. Corolla rotate, 20–35 mm diam., purple.
Berry 13–17 mm diam., yellowish-green; fruiting pedicels 8–11 mm long.
Flowering: August to November.
Distribution and occurrence: Known from numerous collections between Jervis Bay, South Coast, NSW and Mt. Drummer in Victoria. Tall eucalypt forest with dense shrubby understorey, often close to rainforest.
NSW subdivisions: SC, ST
Other Australian states: Vic.
Text by Peter G. Wilson
Taxon concept: see Bean, Telopea 9: 655 (2001).
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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