Solanum dulcamara |
Solanum tampicense |
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bitter nightshade, bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, blue bindweed, climbing nightshade, European bittersweet, felonwort |
aquatic soda apple, scrambling nightshade |
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Habit | Shrubs, scandent, branches 1–2+ m, moderately to densely armed, prickles yellow, recurved, 2–8 mm, glabrate to sparsely pubescent, hairs tan to reddish, stellate, 3–6-rayed, central ray equal to lateral rays. | |
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 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. |
Inflorescences | terminal or lateral, extra-axillary, much-branched, 7–40-flowered, (1–)4–15 cm. |
extra-axillary, unbranched, 3–10-flowered, 1–4 cm. |
Pedicels | inserted into a small sleeve on the inflorescence axis, 0.6–1.2 cm in flower and fruit. |
0.5–2 cm in flower and 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 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. |
Berries | bright shiny red, globose to ellipsoidal, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–1 cm, glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
red, globose, 0.5–0.8 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | pale yellow or tan, flattened, 2–3 mm diam., minutely pitted. |
yellow, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted and ridged. |
Vines | , climbing or scrambling, herbaceous or woody, unarmed, to 8–10 m, sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs unbranched and/or dendritic, rarely glabrous. |
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2n | = 24. |
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Solanum dulcamara |
Solanum tampicense |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Nov. | Flowering Feb–Dec. |
Habitat | Weedy, in a wide variety of habitats, often associated with water. | Swamps, riverbanks, wet areas. |
Elevation | 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.) | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) |
Distribution |
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
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FL; TX; Mexico; Central America; West Indies (Cuba, Lesser Antilles); South America (Colombia, Venezuela) [Introduced in North America] |
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.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 14. | FNA vol. 14. |
Parent taxa | Solanaceae > Solanum | Solanaceae > Solanum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. dulcamara var. villosissimum | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 185. (1753) | Dunal in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 13(1): 284. (1852) |
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