Solanum chenopodioides |
Solanum diphyllum |
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tall nightshade, velvety nightshade, whitetip nightshade |
twinleaf nightshade, twoleaf nightshade |
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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, unarmed, 1–2 m, glabrous or occasionally minutely puberulent, hairs white, 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 0.2–0.5 cm; blade simple, elliptic, 0.9–6.8 × 0.6–2.2 cm, margins entire, base acute to attenuate or decurrent. |
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. |
leaf-opposed, unbranched, 5–20-flowered, 0.3–1.2 cm. |
Pedicels | 0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, reflexed downward in fruit. |
ca. 0.5 cm in flower, ca. 1.2 cm and erect 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, unarmed, 1.5–2 mm, glabrous, lobes deltoid; corolla white, often tinged with lavender, stellate, 0.7–1 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers oblong, 1.5–2 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary glabrous. |
Berries | dull purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
yellow to orange, globose, 0.7–1.2 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | pale yellow, flattened, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
pale yellow or tan, flattened, ca. 3 × 2.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
2n | = 24. |
= 24. |
Solanum chenopodioides |
Solanum diphyllum |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Oct (year-round in Fla.). | Flowering year-round. |
Habitat | Sandy soil, disturbed areas. | Dry lowland areas, hammocks, disturbed sites. |
Elevation | 0–2000 m. [0–6600 ft.] | 0–300 m. [0–1000 ft.] |
Distribution |
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]
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FL; Mexico; West Indies; Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua); South America (Brazil) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe (s France, Italy), Asia, Pacific Islands (Java, Philippines)]
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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 diphyllum is often cultivated for its brightly colored fruits and can escape from cultivation in tropical and subtropical areas. It occurs sporadically and does not appear to be common, but in other areas where it has escaped it has become naturalized (Asia; S. Knapp 2002b). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 14. | FNA vol. 14. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. americanum var. baylisii, S. ottonis | |
Name authority | Lamarck in J. Lamarck and J. Poiret: Tabl. Encycl. 2: 18. (1794) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 184. (1753) |
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