Solanum chenopodioides
Solanum deflexum
tall nightshade, velvety nightshade, whitetip nightshade
sonoita nightshade
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 0.5–2 cm;
blade simple, elliptic to elliptic-ovoid, 1–4.5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, margins entire, base rounded to obtuse and often decurrent.
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.
nearly sessile, extra-axillary or subopposite leaves, unbranched, racemelike, 1–5-flowered.
0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, reflexed downward in fruit.
0.5–1.2 cm in flower, 1–2 mm and spreading or nodding in fruit.
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 not accrescent, unarmed, 3–9 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, lobes linear-lanceolate;
corolla white, rotate, 0.5–1 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers oblong, slightly tapered, 1.5–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
dull purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
white to greenish and semitransparent, globose, 5–12 mm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
pale yellow, flattened, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.
light brown, somewhat flattened, ca. 2.5 × 1.5 mm, notched where connected to placenta, ridged.
= 24.
Solanum chenopodioides
Solanum deflexum
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 deflexum occurs sporadically in southeastern Arizona (Cochise, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz counties). It is unique in its fruits with explosive dehiscence. As the berries mature, they build up turgor pressure until they burst, propelling seeds up to several feet from the parent plant. Plants of S. deflexum were often identified as S. adscendens Sendtner (M. Nee 1989), a distinct species found only in South America (S. Stern et al. 2013).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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