Flora of North America species comparison

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Solanum chenopodioides

Solanum capsicoides

tall nightshade, velvety nightshade, whitetip nightshade

cockroach berry
Habit Herbs or shrubs, annual to short-lived perennial, erect or somewhat sprawling, unarmed, to 1 m, glabrescent to densely pubescent, hairs unbranched, to 1 mm, eglandular. Shrubs, erect, sparsely to densely armed, 0.3–1(–2) m, prickles yellowish, straight or slightly reflexed, to 15 mm, glabrate to moderately pubescent, hairs spreading, unbranched, eglandular.
Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 1–3 cm;

blade simple, narrowly ovate to elliptic, 1.5–5(–7) × 0.5–3.5 cm, margins entire or sinuate, base cuneate to decurrent.

petiolate;

petiole 2–10(–13) cm;

blade simple, broadly ovate, 4–15 × 4–15 cm, margins shallowly to deeply lobed with 2–3 lobes per side, lobe margins entire to coarsely lobed, base cordate.
Inflorescences

extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched or rarely forked, umbel-like, 3–7(–10)-flowered, 1–3(–4) cm, fruiting peduncles sharply reflexed from base.

extra-axillary, ± sessile, unbranched, 1–7-flowered.
Pedicels

0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, reflexed downward in fruit.

ca. 1 cm in flower, 1.5–2 cm in fruit.
Flowers

radially symmetric;

calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2–3.5 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate, appressed in fruit;

corolla white or purplish, with greenish, yellowish, or brown central star, stellate, 0.8–1.5 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal;

anthers ellipsoidal, 2–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;

ovary glabrous.

radially symmetric;

calyx somewhat accrescent, sometimes prickly, 4–6 mm, pubescent with minute glands and longer, simple, eglandular hairs, lobes triangular;

corolla white, stellate, 1.5–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal;

anthers narrow and tapered, 5–6.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;

ovary glabrous.
Berries

dull purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.

dull orange to red, globose, 2–4 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
Seeds

pale yellow, flattened, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.

yellow, flattened, winged at maturity, 4–6 × 4–6 mm, minutely pitted.
2n

= 24.

= 24.

Solanum chenopodioides

Solanum capsicoides
Phenology Flowering May–Oct (year-round in Fla.). Flowering Apr–Oct (year-round in Fla.).
Habitat Sandy soil, disturbed areas. Disturbed areas, sandy soils.
Elevation 0–2000 m. [0–6600 ft.] 0–1000 m. [0–3300 ft.]
Distribution
from FNA
CA; FL; GA; MD; MO; NC; WI; South America (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe, Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
FL; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; South America (Brazil) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in West Indies, Central America, elsewhere in South America, Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Solanum chenopodioides has been introduced sporadically and is occasionally adventive in North America. It is distinctive in having the fruiting peduncles strongly reflexed downward, but is otherwise difficult to distinguish from S. pseudogracile, with which it may be conspecific.

The illegitimate superfluous name Solanum gracile Dunal has often been used for S. chenopodioides (for example, J. K. Small 1913; A. E. Radford et al. 1968). W. G. D’Arcy (1974) included S. gracile (and its replacement name S. ottonis) in the synonymy of S. nigrescens but the taxa are distinct.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Solanum capsicoides is presumed native to coastal Brazil and is grown as an ornamental for its showy red fruits. It has spread from cultivation and become naturalized in tropical and subtropical climates. In the flora region, it is found particularly in Florida. The name S. aculeatissimum Jacquin has been misapplied to S. capsicoides (for example, J. K. Small 1913; A. E. Radford et al. 1968; D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston 1970; R. W. Long and O. Lakela 1971).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 14. Treatment authors: Lynn Bohs1, 1The author wishes to acknowledge co-authorship with David M. Spooner† on S. jamesii and S. stoloniferum and with Sandra Knapp and Tiina Särkinen on the black nightshade species.. FNA vol. 14. Treatment authors: Lynn Bohs1, 1The author wishes to acknowledge co-authorship with David M. Spooner† on S. jamesii and S. stoloniferum and with Sandra Knapp and Tiina Särkinen on the black nightshade species..
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Solanum Solanaceae > Solanum
Sibling taxa
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. capsicoides, S. carolinense, S. citrullifolium, S. cordicitum, S. davisense, S. deflexum, S. dimidiatum, S. diphyllum, S. donianum, S. douglasii, S. dulcamara, S. elaeagnifolium, S. emulans, S. erianthum, S. furcatum, S. hindsianum, S. interius, S. jamaicense, S. jamesii, S. laciniatum, S. lanceolatum, S. lumholtzianum, S. lycopersicum, S. marginatum, S. mauritianum, S. nigrescens, S. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. novomexicanum, S. perplexum, S. pseudocapsicum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. setigeroides, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triflorum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. carolinense, S. chenopodioides, S. citrullifolium, S. cordicitum, S. davisense, S. deflexum, S. dimidiatum, S. diphyllum, S. donianum, S. douglasii, S. dulcamara, S. elaeagnifolium, S. emulans, S. erianthum, S. furcatum, S. hindsianum, S. interius, S. jamaicense, S. jamesii, S. laciniatum, S. lanceolatum, S. lumholtzianum, S. lycopersicum, S. marginatum, S. mauritianum, S. nigrescens, S. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. novomexicanum, S. perplexum, S. pseudocapsicum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. setigeroides, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triflorum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
Synonyms S. americanum var. baylisii, S. ottonis S. ciliatum
Name authority Lamarck in J. Lamarck and J. Poiret: Tabl. Encycl. 2: 18. (1794) Allioni: Auct. Syn. Meth. Stirp. Hort. Regii Taurin., 12. (1773)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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