Solanum chenopodioides
Solanum nigrum
tall nightshade, velvety nightshade, whitetip nightshade
black nightshade, European black 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 0.5–3 cm;
blade simple, ovate, 3.5–7 × 2.2–5 cm, margins entire to coarsely toothed with 3–5 lobes per side, base truncate to cuneate.
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, unbranched or occasionally forked, racemelike, (3–)4–10-flowered, 1–2 cm.
0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, reflexed downward in fruit.
0.5–1 cm, spreading to occasionally recurved in flower and 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, 1.5–2 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate, spreading to reflexed in fruit;
corolla white with yellowish central star, stellate, 1–1.5 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, (1.8–)2–2.5 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.
dull or slightly shiny purple-black or green to yellowish green, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
pale yellow, flattened, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.
yellow, flattened, 1.8–2 × 1.5–1.6 mm, minutely pitted.
= 24.
= 72.
Solanum chenopodioides
Solanum nigrum
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.)
Many regional floras have used Solanum nigrum as the name for various species in the black nightshade group, and it can be difficult to distinguish this species from S. emulans and S. nigrescens. Solanum nigrum can be distinguished from the native North American species of the black nightshade group (S. americanum, S. douglasii, S. emulans, S. interius, S. nigrescens) by its thicker peduncles and pedicels, larger seeds, and fruits lacking sclerotic granules. Solanum nigrum was probably introduced from northern Europe and has been locally naturalized in North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
