Shrub to 3 m high, more or less glabrous; main branches rigid, lateral branches leafy, ending in a stout spine. Leaves usually clustered, narrow-obovate to linear, mostly 12–25 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, apex obtuse, base attenuate into a short obscure petiole, margins entire, slightly fleshy, green. Flowers usually solitary in axils; pedicels 5–8 mm long; calyx campanulate, 4–5 mm long, lobes triangular, 1–2 mm long; fruiting calyx 2-lipped; corolla 15–20 mm long, purplish, lobes suborbicular; stamens 5, included, anthers 2–2.5 mm long; pistil c. 12 mm long. Berry more or less globose, 12–15 mm long, purplish; seeds c. 20, c. 3 mm diam., dull yellowish-brown. Flowers spring–autumn.
VVP, GipP, Gold, CVU, DunT. Native to southern Africa. Sparingly naturalised in Victoria (e.g far south-west, near Inglewood, Sorrento).
Source:
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Solanaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 332–365. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
