A new dioecious bush tomato, <i>Solanum nectarifolium</i> (Solanaceae), from the northern Tanami Desert, Northern Territory, Australia, with reassessment of <i>S. ossicruentum</i> and a change in the circumscription of <i>S. dioicum</i>.

ABSTRACT: A new species of functionally dioecious bush tomato from the "Solanum dioicum + S. echinatum group" of Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum is described. Solanum nectarifolium Martine & Brennan, sp. nov., is a member of the taxonomically challenging Solanum dioicum W.Fitzg. species complex in Australia and differs from other species in the group by the presence of prominent and conspicuous extrafloral nectaries on the abaxial leaf surfaces, a tinge of purple on the new growth and young fruiting calyces, and curved prickles on young stems. Although fairly well represented in herbarium collections, this new taxon has historically been treated as a part of S. dioicum and more recently as a part of S. ossicruentum Martine & J.Cantley due to shared veg

SUBMITTER: Martine CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12770996 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature