Solanum chenopodioides
Solanum tampicense
tall nightshade, velvety nightshade, whitetip nightshade
aquatic soda apple, scrambling 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 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 or rarely forked, umbel-like, 3–7(–10)-flowered, 1–3(–4) cm, fruiting peduncles sharply reflexed from base.
extra-axillary, unbranched, 3–10-flowered, 1–4 cm.
0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, reflexed downward in fruit.
0.5–2 cm 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, 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.
dull purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
red, globose, 0.5–0.8 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
pale yellow, flattened, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.
yellow, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted and ridged.
= 24.
Solanum chenopodioides
Solanum tampicense
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.)
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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