Flora of North America species comparison

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Solanum douglasii

Douglas' nightshade, greenspot nightshade
Habit Herbs or shrubs, perennial, erect, unarmed, to 1.5(–3) m, sparsely to moderately pubescent, hairs white, curved, unbranched, 0.5–1 mm, eglandular.
Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 0.5–3(–7) cm;

blade simple, ovate, 1–5(–9) × 0.5–3(–6) cm, margins entire to coarsely and irregularly toothed, base truncate to acute and decurrent.
Inflorescences

extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched, racemelike, 2–7(–14)-flowered, 2–4 cm.
Pedicels

0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, nodding or deflexed downward in fruit.
Flowers

radially symmetric;

calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2–3 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate;

corolla white with yellow-green to brownish central star, stellate, 1–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal;

anthers ellipsoidal and slightly tapered towards the tips, (2.5–)3–4.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;

ovary glabrous.
Berries

dull purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with (2–)6–8 sclerotic granules per fruit.
Seeds

pale yellow to tan, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, finely reticulate.
2n

= 24.

Solanum douglasii
Phenology Flowering Mar–Nov (nearly year-round in Calif.).
Habitat Dry shrubland, woodland, rocky slopes, stream banks, canyons.
Elevation 0–2500 m. (0–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; TX; Mexico; West Indies (Guadeloupe); Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua)
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Discussion

Solanum douglasii is most commonly found west of the Rocky Mountains. It can be difficult to distinguish from S. nigrescens, but its longer, slightly tapered anthers on very short (relative to anther length) filaments is a good distinguishing character for plants in flower. The buds of S. douglasii are more pointed than those of S. nigrescens.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa 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. donianum, 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
Synonyms S. arizonicum
Name authority Dunal in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 13(1): 48. (1852)
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Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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