Solanum americanum
Solanum tampicense
American black nightshade, American black or common or West Indian nightshade, glossy nightshade, little white nightshade, small-flower nightshade, white nightshade
aquatic soda apple, scrambling nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 1–4 cm;
blade simple, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 2–10.5 × 1–4.5 cm, margins entire or shallowly sinuate-dentate, base decurrent.
petiolate;
petiole 1–4 cm;
blade simple, ovate, 4–16 × 2–6 cm, margins shallowly to moderately lobed with 2–5 lobes per side, lobe margins entire, base cuneate and slightly decurrent.
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched, usually umbel-like, 3–10-flowered, 0.5–3 cm.
extra-axillary, unbranched, 3–10-flowered, 1–4 cm.
erect or spreading, 0.3–1 cm in flower, to 1.5 cm in fruit.
0.5–2 cm in flower and fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx somewhat accrescent, unarmed, 1–3 mm, lobes deltate, strongly reflexed in fruit;
corolla white, sometimes with yellowish central star, stellate, 0.4–0.8 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, 0.7–1.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, sometimes prickly, 2–5 mm, glabrous, lobes narrowly triangular;
corolla white to cream, stellate, 1.5–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers narrow and tapered, 4–6 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
ovary glabrous.
shiny purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with (0–)2–4(–6) sclerotic granules, usually 2–4 larger and 2 smaller.
red, globose, 0.5–0.8 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
pale yellow to brown, 1–1.5 × 0.5–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.
yellow, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted and ridged.
= 24.
Solanum americanum
Solanum tampicense
Solanum americanum is a morphologically variable and globally distributed weedy species. It has often been confused with other species in the black nightshade group such as S. emulans, S. nigrescens, S. nigrum, and S. pseudogracile and has often been referred to as S. nodiflorum in floristic treatments. It is distinguished by its very short anthers and shiny black mature fruits with strongly reflexed calyx lobes and usually two to four (rarely none or as many as six) sclerotic granules per fruit. Leaf shape and pubescence can vary considerably throughout its range, and there are some suspected cases of introgression with other species such as S. nigrescens or S. pseudogracile. The name S. nigrum has been misapplied to S. americanum (for example, A. E. Radford et al. 1968).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
In the flora area, Solanum tampicense is found in central and southern Florida. A single population was found in 2016 in Cameron County, Texas. It was first collected in Florida in 1983, and although not common, it has the potential to become invasive. It is listed by the United States federal government and several states as a noxious weed. It is a species of riverbanks and swamps, where it can form impenetrable, spiny thickets.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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