Life Sciences Commons^™

Solanum Scalarium (Solanaceae), A Newly-Described Dioecious Bush Tomato From Judbarra/Gregory National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Angela Mcdonnell, Tanisha Williams, Jonathan Hayes, Jason T. Cantley, Peter Jobson, Christine Martine

Biology Faculty Publications

A new species of functionally dioecious bush tomato of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum scalarium Martine & T.M.Williams, sp. nov., is a member of the taxonomically challenging “Kimberley dioecious clade” in Australia and differs from other species in the group in its spreading decumbent habit and conspicuously prickly male floral rachis. The species is so far known from one site in Judbarra/Gregory National Park in the Northern Territory. Ex situ crosses and confirmation of inaperturate pollen grains produced in morphologically cosexual flowers indicate that these flowers are functionally female and the species is functionally dioecious. The scientific name reflects …