Common name: Blue Potato Bush
Lycianthes rantonnetii (Carrière) Bitter APNI* Description: Arching or sprawling shrub 2–3 m high; stems angular, sparsely striate.
Leaves sometimes in pairs, elliptic, up to 10 cm long, 5 cm wide, concolourous, entire, the underside with simple or branched hairs, petiole 0.5–1.5 cm long, winged in the upper part by extension of lamina base,
Inflorescence axillary, sub-umbellate cluster of 2–5 zygomorphic flowers; pedicels 15–25 mm long. Calyx 4–5 mm long, lobes 2 mm long, linear, well-developed with secondary lobe sometimes developing between to give a 10-lobed effect. Corolla rotate 20–30 mm diameter, bright blue, upper 3 lobes with a yellow patch at base. Anthers unequal, upper pair slightly smalller, c. 3 mm long, oblong.
Berry sub-globose-ellipsoid with cordate base, 27–30 mm long, yellow. Seed c. 2.5 mm long, dark brown.
Distribution and occurrence: Native to South America. Often cultivated in Australian gardens. Found as naturalised next to the Rocky River on the north coast of NSW; sparingly naturalised in SA and possibly in WA.
NSW subdivisions: *NC
Placed in the genus Lycianthes due to its axillary flowers, these without a peduncle when more than one, and because of the non-lobed or 5-10-toothed calyx. Sometimes listed under Solanum.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Flora of South Australia http://www.flora.sa.gov.au
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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