Solanum linnaeanum leaf lobes sometimes shallow

This Solanum linnaeanum seen after rain in the Kouga Valley displays leaves that vary in the depth of their lobes. The lines of smooth margins curve roundly on both sides along the leaf midribs. Fairly straight cream veins ascend into each lateral lobe and the tip. 

Hefty spines stand up straight from some leaf midribs, not seen on all leaves in picture, although the young spines may still be coloured deceptively. Leaf damage indicates that spines are not always effective in deterring herbivores. Life so often balances the give and take of survival, without considering fairness in the human way. The forensics weren’t sufficient to rule out other causes of this damage though (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Privett and Lutzeyer, 2010; iNaturalist).