Shrub 3-4 m tall, without prickles. Leaves lobed, or entire and elliptic to lanceolate, hairless,15-30 cm long, stalk to 4 cm long. Flower clusters with flowers fewer than 11; summer. Corolla mostly 2.5-4 cm wide, wheel-like to star-like, blue-violet. Fruit a berry,1-1.5 cm wide, orange to scarlet.

SA, Qld, NSW, Vic, New Guinea, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand

Often used in revegetation programs; may become weedy in disturbed areas.

 

S. laciniatum Ait., Large-flowered Kangaroo Apple, from SA, NSW, Vic, Tas and New Zealand is very similar but has notched corolla lobes and a mature berry that is yellow to orange, not red to orange; it is naturalised in WA. The green fruit is poisonous and the extract diosgenin is used in contraceptive pills.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Solanaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.