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Sollya Lindl.

This name is not current. Find out more information on related names.

Reference
Edwards's Bot.Reg. 17:Tab.466. (1831)
Name Status
Not Current

Scientific Description

Common name. Bluebell. Family Pittosporaceae.

Habit and leaf form. Shrubs; evergreen. Plants unarmed. Leaves cauline. Climbing; stem twiners (or with flexuose stems). Twining anticlockwise. Mesophytic. Not heterophyllous. Leaves medium-sized; alternate; distichous; leathery; shortly petiolate, or sessile; simple. Leaf blades dorsiventral; entire; linear, or ovate, or elliptic. Mature leaf blades adaxially glabrous, or pubescent (more or less); abaxially glabrous, or pubescent (more or less). Leaf blade margins usually entire.

Reproductive type, pollination. Fertile flowers hermaphrodite. Unisexual flowers absent. Plants hermaphrodite.

Inflorescence and flower features. Flowers aggregated in ‘inflorescences’, or solitary (rarely). Inflorescence few-flowered (up to 5). Flowers in cymes, or in corymbs. Inflorescences terminal, or axillary; of pedunculate, pendulous, loose few-flowered cymes or corymbs. Flowers pedicellate; bracteate; small; regular; 5 merous; tetracyclic. Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla; 10; 2 -whorled; isomerous. Calyx present; 5; 1 -whorled; polysepalous (slightly pouched at base); hairy, or glabrous; exceeded by the corolla; dark blue. Sepals ovate. Corolla present; 5; 1 -whorled; polypetalous (petals spreading from base); imbricate; regular; plain; purple, or blue (i.e. blue to dark-blue to dark-purple). Petals ovate, or obovate. Androecium present. Androecial members definite in number. Androecium 5. Androecial members free of the perianth; all equal. Stamens 5; all more or less similar in shape; isomerous with the perianth; oppositisepalous; all alternating with the corolla members. Anthers connivent (to form a cone around the style); dorsifixed; dehiscing via longitudinal slits; introrse. Gynoecium 2 carpelled. The pistil 2 celled. Gynoecium syncarpous; eu-syncarpous; superior. Ovary plurilocular; 2 locular; sessile. Ovary summit hairy, the hairs not confined to radiating bands. Gynoecium stylate. Styles 1 (short). Stigmas 1. Ovules 30–50 per locule (i.e. ‘many’).

Fruit and seed features. Fruit 1.5–2.5 mm long; fleshy; black; hairy to not hairy (i.e. becming glabrous with maturity); indehiscent; a berry. Dispersal unit the seed. Fruit 30–50 seeded (i.e. ‘many’). Seeds mucous (embedded in mucilagenous pulp); compressed (flat, more or less angular).

Geography, cytology, number of species. World distribution: Australia. Native of Australia. Endemic to Australia. Australian states and territories: Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, and Tasmania. South-West Botanical Province. A genus of 2 species; 2 species in Western Australia; 2 endemic to Western Australia.

Additional comments. Etymology: after the English plant physiologist and anatomist, R. H. Solly, 1778–1858, a friend of Lindley.

Etymology. After Richard Horsman Solly (1778–1858), English botanist.