Solanum oligacanthum | |
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Shrubs full extent | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Solanales |
Family: | Solanaceae |
Genus: | Solanum |
Species: | S. oligacanthum |
Binomial name | |
Solanum oligacanthum | |
Distribution within Australia based off data provided from Atlas of Living Australia [2] |
Solanum oligacanthum is a species of herbaceous perennial herb or subshrub which is spread throughout central east Australia (South-West Queensland, North-West New South Wales, and North-East South Australia). [3] This species is often found in seasonally flooded creek channels, flats and lagoons, and commonly referred to as desert nightshade. [3] [4]
Solanum oligacanthum is an erect, colonial, herbacious perennial species. [3] It grows up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in heaight. This species is of pale grey-green colour, resulting from densely pubescent stellate hairs up to 16 mm (0.63 in) long.
Its leaves are broadly ovate, [5] 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) wide and long, with the apex obtuse and rounded, and the base obtuse to cordate.
The corollas is purple and rotate (20–25 mm (0.79–0.98 in) diameter), containing the yellow [6] anthers arranged in the centre forming a cone-like structure. [7]
Its seeds are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long, black or dark-brownish in colour.
Solanum oligacanthum grows in arid shrub lands within Australia. [8] New growth occurs in spring, and most top growth dies down over winter leaving dead stubble.
This species, like most Solanum, pollinates through a process known as buzz pollination. [6]
It is classified as a weed within some parts of South Australia. [5]
Desert nightshade is distributed predominately within central eastern Australia, spread between South-West Queensland, North-West New South Wales, and North-East South Australia, with some being found on the Eastern Coast of South Australia as well. [3] There is no conservation status listed for Solanum oligacanthum [9] so it is assumed this species conservation is of low-concern.
Buzz pollination or sonication is a technique used by some bees, such as solitary bees and bumblebees, to release pollen which is more or less firmly held by the anthers. The anthers of buzz-pollinated plant species are typically tubular, with an opening at only one end, and the pollen inside is smooth-grained and firmly attached. With self-fertile plants such as tomatoes, wind may be sufficient to shake loose the pollen through pores in the anther and accomplish pollination. Visits by bees may also shake loose some pollen, but more efficient pollination of those plants is accomplished by a few insect species who specialize in sonication or buzz pollination.
Solanum mauritianum is a small tree or shrub native to South America, including Northern Argentina, Southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Its common names include earleaf nightshade, woolly nightshade, flannel weed, bugweed, tobacco weed, tobacco bush, wild tobacco and kerosene plant.
Solanum americanum, commonly known as American black nightshade, small-flowered nightshade or glossy nightshade, is a herbaceous flowering plant of wide though uncertain native range. The certain native range encompasses the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, Melanesia, New Guinea, and Australia.
Callitris columellaris is a species of coniferous tree in the family Cupressaceae, native to most of Australia. Common names include white cypress, white cypress-pine, Murray River cypress-pine, Bribie Island pine and northern cypress-pine. Callitris columellaris has become naturalised in Hawaii and in southern Florida.
Halgania is a genus of small shrubs in the family Boraginaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species that are endemic to Australia. Halgania is named for Emmanuel Halgan, a vice-admiral in the French Navy.
Thelymitra crinita, commonly known as the blue lady orchid, queen orchid or lily orchid, is a species of orchid which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single broad, oval leaf and up to fifteen brilliant blue flowers with a blue column with the lobe on top of the anther covered with short, finger-like calli.
Solanum rostratum is a species of nightshade that is native to the United States and northern and central Mexico. Common names include buffalobur nightshade, buffalo-bur, spiny nightshade, Colorado bur, Kansas thistle, bad woman, Mexican thistle, and Texas thistle.
Solanum prinophyllum, known as the forest nightshade or Grin Whiskers, is a accepted species of small plant native to the east coast of East Victoria to Southeast Queensland, Australia. S. prinophyllum is a short lived herb, annual or perennial. Forest nightshade grows up to 50 cm high. Its leaves are 5 to 8 cm long and 3 to 5 cm wide. They are spiky and often tinged with purple. The stems are also spiky. Five petalled flowers occur at any time of the year and are blue or lilac in colour. Petals are fused at the base. The fruit is around 15 to 20 mm in diameter and the stem is 10 to 20 mm long. The fruit is a berry, which stays green or turns purple. The habitat is moist areas, in sclerophyll forest, or disturbed areas in rainforest.
Casuarina pauper, commonly known as black oak, belah or kariku, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a dioecious tree with fissured or scaly bark, waxy branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 9 to 13, the fruit 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 5.5–7.0 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long.
Solanum scabrum, also known as garden huckleberry, is an annual or perennial plant in the nightshade family. The geographic origin of the species is uncertain; Linnaeus attributed it to Africa, but it also occurs in North America, and it is naturalized in many countries. In Africa it is cultivated as a leaf vegetable and for dye from the berries.
Acacia cana, or commonly named as boree or the cabbage-tree wattle or broad-leaved nealie, is part of the family Fabaceae and sub-family Mimosoideae. It is a dense shrub- tree that can grow to 6 metres (20 ft) high and is a perennial plant meaning it has long life span and doesn’t necessary produce a high amount of seed. The cabbage-tree wattle heavily flowers from August till October and relies on animals and insects for pollination and dispersal of seeds. This least concern acacia species is found in the western plains of New South Wales and Central Queensland the habitats of these areas are found to be sandy soils and gibber plains.
Acacia ramulosa, commonly known as horse mulga or bowgada wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae endemic to arid areas of Australia.
Stackhousia clementii is a species of plant in the family Celastraceae and is native to Australia.
Thelymitra epipactoides, commonly called the metallic sun orchid, is a species of orchid that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has a single relatively large, leathery leaf and up to twenty large flowers that range in colour from pink to reddish but have a distinctive arrangement of lobes above the anther.
Thelymitra psammophila, commonly called the sandplain sun orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single narrow leaf and up to five yellow flowers with an orange anther and brown arms on the side of the column.
Thelymitra fuscolutea, commonly called the chestnut sun orchid, is a species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has a single erect, flat, leathery leaf and up to fifteen or more yellowish green flowers with reddish brown streaks and blotches. The column has broad, deeply fringed cream or whitish wings.
Solanum sturtianum, commonly known as Sturt’s nightshade or Thargomindah nightshade, is a flowering plant from the Solanaceae (nightshade) family. Distinct by its purple flowers and dark-black fruits, it is a shrub endemic to the arid zones of mainland Australia.
Solanum esuriale is a species of perennial herbaceous plant native to Australia.
Solanum petrophilum, commonly known as rock nightshade or prickly nightshade, is an Australian native perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to the family Solanaceae. Solanaceae has a worldwide distribution and also contains important food species such as the tomato, peppers, and potatoes.
Solanum acerifolium is a species of small flowering shrub that belongs to the Solanaceae family, commonly known as the nightshade family. The species description was first published by a French botanist, Michel Félix Dunal in 1816.