Solanum dissectum
Solanum dissectum is endemic to Queensland, and recorded from the Biloela-Banana-Baralaba area. It occurs in association with brigalow (Acacia harpophylla), and sometimes Eucalyptus thozetiana, on heavy cracking-clay soil.
Solanum dissectum is a typical member of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum. It is placed into the S. ferocissimum group (Group 13) by Bean (2004) on morphological grounds; its phylogenetic position has not been investigated using molecular data.
Symon, D.E. 1995. Four new species of Solanum L. (Solanaceae) from south east Queensland.
Austrobaileya 4(3): 429-37.
IUCN Species Survival Commision 2001. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1.
Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN.
Bean, A.R. 2004. The taxonomy and ecology of Solanum subg. Leptostemonum (Dunal) Bitter (Solanaceae) in Queensland and far north-eastern New South Wales.
Austrobaileya 6 (4): 639-816.
Solanum dissectum is a very distinct species with no very close relatives. It is probably closest to S. lythrocarpum. Solanum lythrocarpum differs by the entire adult leaves (deeply lobed for S. dissectum); the presence of very short, gland-tipped hairs on the branchlets, leaf lamina and calyx (absent for S. dissectum); the presence of stellate hairs on leaves and calyx (absent for S. dissectum) and the fruiting pedicels 10-19 mm long (18-24 mm long for S. dissectum).
It is also close to S. ferocissimum, but it differs from that species by the total lack of stellate hairs and the deeply lobed adult leaves.
Conservation status: S. dissectum is currently known from a total of 17 mature individuals at one locality, and this locality is not protected within a conservation reserve. Applying the IUCN guidelines (IUCN, 2001), a category of “Critically Endangered” is recommended (CR A3ce; B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C1+2a(i,ii); D). Three specimen labels include comments indicating the probable imminent demise of that population of S. dissectum viz. “cleared Brigalow scrub”, “pulled Acacia harpophylla regrowth”, “recently burnt, pulled brigalow suckers”. Major threats are continuing land clearance, and invasion of habitat by exotic species of grass, introduced as cattle fodder. This species is undoubtedly the one closest to extinction in Queensland.