Flowers and leaves. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Fruiting plant. Photo: Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Western Nightshade, Felted Nightshade, Tomato-bush

Family

Solanaceae

Notes

Shrub or perennial forb to 30cm tall.  Prickles usually on stems, rarely on the leaves or the calyces of the flower.  Plants without prickles also occur.  Leaves alternating up the stems, 1-5cm long, 3-10mm wide, sometimes larger, flat, or often folded lengthwise, velvety, the edges sometimes slightly wavy, with blunt tips.  Flowers purple, tubular, with 4 or occasionally 5 lobes, in open groups of 1-6 flowers at the tops of the stems, or arising from along the upper stems.  Fruit yellow to yellow brown, scarcely succulent.  Endangered Vic.

Description and photo in G.M. Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and J H Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales page 590

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Solanum~coactiliferum

Online fact sheet published by the South Australian Herbarium:  http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/efsa/lucid/Solanaceae/Solanum%20species/key/Australian%20Solanum%20species/Media/Html/Solanum_coactiliferum.htm