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mullein nightshade

black nightshade, European black nightshade

Habit Shrubs, erect, sparsely armed when young, older growth unarmed, 0.5–2.5 m, prickles brownish, 1–3 mm, straight, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs sessile to short-stalked, stellate, 6–9-rayed, central ray absent or shorter than lateral rays. Herbs, annual or perennial, erect or sprawling, unarmed, to 1 m, glabrescent to moderately pubescent, hairs unbranched, to 1 mm, usually eglandular or occasionally glandular.
Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 1–3 cm;

blade simple, ovate to elliptic, 4.5–13 × 2–5.5 cm, margins entire, base rounded to acute.

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.

Inflorescences

terminal to extra-axillary, much-branched, with numerous flowers, 2–8 cm.

extra-axillary, unbranched or occasionally forked, racemelike, (3–)4–10-flowered, 1–2 cm.

Pedicels

erect and 0.7–1 cm in flower and fruit.

0.5–1 cm, spreading to occasionally recurved in flower and fruit.

Flowers

radially symmetric;

calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2–4 mm, moderately stellate-pubescent, lobes triangular;

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

stamens equal;

anthers narrow and tapered, 3–4.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;

ovary glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent.

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.

Berries

red, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent, without sclerotic granules.

dull or slightly shiny purple-black or green to yellowish green, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.

Seeds

yellow, flattened, 2.5–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, minutely pitted.

yellow, flattened, 1.8–2 × 1.5–1.6 mm, minutely pitted.

2n

= 24.

= 72.

Solanum donianum

Solanum nigrum

Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat Seasides, hammocks, pine forests, limestone soils. Disturbed areas, irrigated fields.
Elevation 0 m. (0 ft.) 0–2200 m. (0–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; s Mexico; West Indies (Bahamas); Central America (Belize, Guatemala)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CA; DC; FL; GA; IA; ID; MA; MD; ME; MO; MT; NC; NJ; NV; NY; OK; OR; PA; TX; UT; VA; WA; BC; NS; ON; Eurasia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Solanum donianum is occasional in southern Florida. The oldest name for this species is S. verbascifolium Linnaeus, but it has been widely misapplied to S. erianthum and is now rejected.

(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.)

Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Solanum Solanaceae > Solanum
Sibling taxa
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. capsicoides, S. carolinense, S. chenopodioides, S. citrullifolium, S. cordicitum, S. davisense, S. deflexum, S. dimidiatum, S. diphyllum, 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. capsicoides, 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. 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. blodgettii S. nigrum subsp. schultesii
Name authority Walpers: Repert. Bot. Syst. 3: 54. (1844) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 186. (1753)
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