Flora of Victoria

Erect shrub or small tree to 4 m high, dark green, glabrous except for minute simple and glandular hairs on young growth and flowers; prickles absent. Leaves lobed or entire, apex acute to acuminate, base attenuate, concolorous, glabrous; lobed leaves broad-elliptic to obovate, 15–30 cm long; lobes 1–10 cm long, 0.5–2 cm wide; petiole to 4 cm long; entire leaves lanceolate-elliptic, 8–25 cm long, 1–3.5 cm wide; petiole 1–2 cm long. Inflorescences simple or forked at base, to 10-flowered; primary peduncle 0–3.5 cm long. Flowers on pedicels 1.5–2 cm long; calyx 5–6 mm long, lobes triangular, 1.5–3 mm long; corolla rotate-stellate, 25–40 mm diam., blue-violet, lobes acute; anthers 3.5–4.5 mm long. Berry ovoid to ellipsoid, 10–15 mm diam., orange-red to scarlet; seeds 1–1.5 mm long, light brown or red-brown; stone-cell granules mostly 1–1.5 mm long. Flowers mostly spring and summer.

CVU, EGL, EGU, GipP, Glep, GGr, HFE, HNF, HSF, NIS, OtP, OtR, Strz, VAlp, VRiv, VVP, WaP, WPro. Also WA (naturalised), SA (naturalised), Qld, NSW, Tas. New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia. A colonizing species of disturbed or burnt sites, mostly eastern, some of the more westerly occurrences may be due to local naturalisations.

Occasionally cultivated as a source of solasodine for cortisone and other steroid drugs.

Source: Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Solanaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J. (eds), Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Updated by: Val Stajsic, 2018-06-18

life Life

kingdom Plantae

phylum Tracheophyta

class Magnoliopsida

superorder Asteranae

order Solanales

family Solanaceae

genus Solanum

Higher taxa

species Solanum aviculare G.Forst.

Victoria

**Source:** AVH (2014). *Australia's Virtual Herbarium*, Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, <http://avh.chah.org.au>. Find Solanum aviculare in AVH ; *Victorian Biodiversity Atlas*, © The State of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries (published Dec. 2014) Find Solanum aviculare in Victorian Biodiversity Atlas

Bioregion	Occurrence status	Establishment means
Glenelg Plain	present	native
Victorian Volcanic Plain	present	native
Victorian Riverina	present	native
Gippsland Plain	present	native
Otway Plain	present	native
Warrnambool Plain	present	native
Central Victorian Uplands	present	native
Greater Grampians	present	native
Northern Inland Slopes	present	native
East Gippsland Lowlands	present	native
East Gippsland Uplands	present	native
Wilsons Promontory	present	native
Highlands-Southern Fall	present	native
Highlands-Northern Fall	present	native
Otway Ranges	present	native
Strzelecki Ranges	present	native
Highlands-Far East	present	native
Victorian Alps	present	native

Bioregions of Victoria

State distribution

State
Western Australia
South Australia
Queensland
New South Wales
Australian Capital Territory
Victoria
Tasmania

Solanum aviculare G.Forst.

Kangaroo Apple

Victoria

State distribution