Citation:
J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 4: 272. 1981.
Type:
Australia. Western Australia: base of the Sir Frederick Range, ca. 24°05’S, 128°40’E, 1 August 1962, D.E. Symon 2272 (holotype, ADW; isotypes, AD, CANB, PERTH).
Habit:
Erect, rhizomatous perennial shrub, 0.4-1 m tall. Juvenile stage unknown. Adult stems terete or ridged, white, very densely stellate-pubescent, the stellae 0.8-1.3 mm in diameter, the stalks 0-1.2 mm long, the lateral rays 7-8, porrect or ascending, the midpoints 1-1.5 times as long as lateral rays, eglandular; finger hairs absent; very short, gland-tipped hairs absent; prickles straight, acicular, 1-9 mm long, 7-11 times longer than wide, with 35-400 prickles per dm.
Sympodial structure:
Sympodial units probably 2-foliate, geminate or not.
Leaves:
Leaves simple, the blades 4-9.5 x 1.4-4 cm, 1.6-3.5 times as long as wide, elliptical or ovate, chartaceous, grey-green or grey and densely stellate-pubescent adaxially, the hairs distributed throughout, spaced 0.15-0.3 mm apart, 0.7-1 mm in diameter, the stalks 0-0.2 mm long, the lateral rays 6-9, porrect or ascending, the midpoints 1-2.5 times as long as lateral rays, eglandular; finger hairs absent; very short, gland-tipped hairs absent; prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, prickles 0-8, straight, acicular or broad-based, 3-10 mm long; white or yellowish and densely to very densely stellate-pubescent abaxially, the hairs spaced 0.1-0.2 mm apart, 0.8-1.2 mm in diameter, the stalks 0-0.5 mm long, the lateral rays 6-8, porrect, the midpoints 1-1.8 times as long as lateral rays, eglandular; finger hairs absent; very short, gland-tipped hairs absent; prickles absent or present on midvein only or present on midvein and lateral veins, 0-5, straight, acicular or broad-based; base cuneate or obtuse, oblique part 0-5 mm long; margin shallowly to deeply lobed throughout, rarely entire, the lobes 2-4 on each side, obtuse, lobing index 1-5; apex acute or obtuse; petioles 0.8-2.1 cm long, 20-30% length of lamina, very densely stellate-pubescent, prickles present.
Inflorescences:
Inflorescence extra-axillary, unbranched, pseudo-racemose, with 7-11 flowers, the plants strongly andromonoecious, the axes very densely stellate-pubescent, armed or unarmed; peduncle 0-0.3 cm; pedicels 5-23 mm long in flower, 0.7-1.3 mm thick, 23-48 mm long and deflexed in fruit, 1.3-2.2 mm thick, articulated at the base.
Flowers:
Flowers heterostylous, 5-merous, markedly dimorphic, the basal flower(s) larger and pricklier. Calyx 10-15 mm long, the tube 3-5 mm long, the lobes 6.5-11 mm long, attenuate, very densely stellate-pubescent, the hairs white, 0.7-0.9 mm in diameter, the stalks 0-1.5 mm long, the lateral rays 7-8, the midpoints 1-1.5 times as long as lateral rays, eglandular; finger hairs absent; very short, gland-tipped hairs absent; prickles on basal bisexual flowers 40-125, 2-6 mm long; prickles on distal male flowers 0-15, 1-3 mm long; fruiting calyx accrescent, with lobes ca. 25 x 5-7 mm, more than half length of mature fruit, prickles 2-6 mm long. Corolla 2-3 cm in diameter, 10-20 mm long, rotate, with abundant interpetalar tissue, chartaceous, purple, the lobes broadly deltate, incised at tips, glabrous adaxially. Stamens with filaments 0.5-2 mm long; anthers 4-6.5 mm long, lanceolate, connivent or not, yellow, the pores minute and directed distally. Ovary glabrous or with a few glandular hairs; functional style 7-12.5 mm long, cylindrical, straight or curved at tip, glabrous; stigma capitate, slightly bilobed.
Fruits:
Fruits 1-2 per inflorescence, 2.3-3 cm in diameter, globose, yellowish-green or green to pale yellow when ripe, glabrous, the mesocarp moist but not juicy.
Seeds:
Seeds 3.3-3.6 x 3-3.5 mm , brown to black, the surface minutely reticulate.
Phenology:
Flowers are recorded between January and October; fruits between February and October.
In this species, the basal flower of each inflorescence is larger and pricklier than all other flowers, and only the basal flower develops into a fruit.
According to Symon (1981), S. chippendalei is most closely related to S. beaugleholei, S. phlomoides and S. melanospermum. These four species occupy a geographical are from the southern Kimberleys to the Hamersley Range and across central Australia to the south-west corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Of these four, S. beaugleholei and S. phlomoides have the appearance of the relics and S. chippendalei and and S. melanospermum give evidence of being more recently evolved. Solanum chippendalei differs from S. phlomoides and S. beaugleholei in its smaller habit, generally shallowly lobed leaves, and slightly smaller fruits and seeds. From S. melanospermum it differs in having greyish rather than rusty tomentum, globular not ovoid fruit, fewer shallow leaf lobes, shorter and stouter pedicels and a calyx not markedly coriaceous and reflexed at maturity.
Variation in leaf lobing does occur and when unlobed the species may be difficult to distinguish from S. phlomoides; when deeply lobed it approaches S. melanospermum.
The species has been referred to in literature as S. phlomoides, S. melanospermum and S. eremophilum and in the absence of voucher specimens it is not easy to be sure which species were in fact being referred to. The species is named after Mr G. M. Chippendale for his considerable contributions to the botany of the Northern Territory.
Conservation status: Widespread. Not considered at risk.