Solanum quadriloculatum
F.Muell. Tomato BushErect or sprawling shrub to 0.5 m high, grey-green or yellowish green, pubescent with stellate hairs, sometimes scabrous; prickles abundant on branches, but also on petioles, peduncles and calyces. Leaves ovate to elliptic, 5–9 cm long, 1.5–4 cm wide, apex acute or rounded, base truncate, margins entire and often slightly undulate, more or less concolorous, both surfaces densely pubescent; petiole 1–4 cm long. Inflorescences simple, up to 20-flowered; peduncle 15–20 mm long. Flowers on pedicels 5–10 mm long; calyx 6–10 mm long, lobes narrowly triangular, 4–6 mm long; corolla stellate or pentagonal, 20–25 mm diam., purple, lobes acute-tipped; anthers 4–6 mm long. Berry depressed-globose, 10–15 mm diam., light yellow-brown; seeds 2–3 mm long, pale mustard-yellow to light grey. Recorded flowering Jan. and Sep., and fruiting in Jan.
MuM. Also WA, NT, SA, Qld, NSW. Widespread throughout much of inland Australia but largely absent from Western Australia. Known in Victoria from a single plant found growing in sandy loam near Dimboola (2007), and a 2021 collection (also a single plant) growing in gravel at roadside south of Yarrara, west of Mildura. The absence of any records from intact native vegetation suggests the species is naturalised rather than native in Victoria.
Spinning
