About Solanum pungetium R.Br.
Solanum pungetium, commonly called the eastern nightshade, is a small, low-spreading plant native to the east coast of Australia. Its leaves are spiky, elliptical, 5 to 8 centimetres long, and 2 to 4 centimetres wide. Stems, flower stalks, and branches are also spiky. The leaf petiole is around 1 centimetre long. Flowers are characteristic of the Australian Solanum group; they are purple to blue with a yellow centre, and bloom in spring. The fruit is a pale yellow-green berry with darker green markings. It measures around 25 to 30 millimetres in diameter, and grows on a stem 2 to 5 centimetres long. This species grows in moist habitats, including sclerophyll forest, and disturbed areas within rainforest. It occurs in the Australian state of Victoria, and in areas south of the Clarence River in New South Wales, often close to the coast. This plant was first formally published by Robert Brown in 1810, in his work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.
