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bitter nightshade, bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, blue bindweed, climbing nightshade, European bittersweet, felonwort

viscid nightshade

Habit Herbs, annual, erect to decumbent, unarmed, to 1 m, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs unbranched, to 2 mm, glandular.
Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 0.5–5 cm;

blade simple, elliptic or ovate to cordate, 2.5–12 × 1.2–9 cm, margins entire to deeply pinnatifid and usually 3-lobed near base, lobe margins entire, base truncate to cordate.

petiolate;

petiole 0.5–3 cm;

blade simple, ovate to elliptic, 3–7.5 × 3–6 cm, margins entire to sinuate-dentate, base truncate to cordate.

Inflorescences

terminal or lateral, extra-axillary, much-branched, 7–40-flowered, (1–)4–15 cm.

leaf-opposed or occasionally extra-axillary, unbranched, umbel-like, 2–5(–7)-flowered, 0.5–1.5 cm.

Pedicels

inserted into a small sleeve on the inflorescence axis, 0.6–1.2 cm in flower and fruit.

0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, spreading in flower, reflexed in fruit.

Flowers

radially symmetric;

calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1–2 mm, glabrous to densely pubescent, lobes triangular, shallow;

corolla purple (rarely white), with green and white shiny spots at base of each lobe, deeply stellate, 1.5–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal;

anthers oblong, slightly tapered, 4.5–6 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that often open into longitudinal slits;

ovary glabrous.

radially symmetric;

calyx accrescent and nearly covering berry, unarmed, 2–3 mm, sparsely to moderately pubescent, lobes narrowly triangular;

corolla white with yellowish or greenish central star, rotate-stellate, 0.5–1 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal;

anthers ellipsoidal, 1.2–2 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;

ovary glabrous.

Berries

bright shiny red, globose to ellipsoidal, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–1 cm, glabrous, without sclerotic granules.

dull pale green, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with 4–6 sclerotic granules.

Seeds

pale yellow or tan, flattened, 2–3 mm diam., minutely pitted.

pale yellow, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, nearly smooth.

Vines

, climbing or scrambling, herbaceous or woody, unarmed, to 8–10 m, sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs unbranched and/or dendritic, rarely glabrous.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Solanum dulcamara

Solanum sarrachoides

Phenology Flowering May–Nov. Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat Weedy, in a wide variety of habitats, often associated with water. Farmyards, fields, open wood­lands, roadsides, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.) 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SD; TN; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Eurasia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; CT; FL; IL; KS; MD; MO; NC; OK; RI; SC; VA; WA; s South America (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe, Africa (South Africa)]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Solanum dulcamara is widely distributed across Eurasia and boreal North America. The North American populations are thought to be introductions, but it is possible that the species has a truly circumboreal distribution. A white-flowered form has been recognized by some authors as S. dulcamara forma albiflorum House and an especially pubescent form as S. dulcamara var. villosissimum, but variation in a number of morphological features is continuous across the range of the species and these and other variants are not recognized in the latest monograph of the group (S. Knapp 2013).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Many accounts of Solanum sarrachoides in North America actually refer either to S. nitidibaccatum or to a mixture of the two species. In North America, S. sarrachoides is much less widespread and common than S. nitidibaccatum.

(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. donianum, S. douglasii, 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. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. novomexicanum, S. perplexum, S. pseudocapsicum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, 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. dulcamara var. villosissimum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 185. (1753) Sendtner in C. F. P. von Martius et al.: Fl. Bras. 10: 18, plate 1, figs. 1–8. (1846)
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