Solanum erianthum |
Solanum elaeagnifolium |
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mullein nightshade, potato tree |
horse nettle, silver-leaf nightshade, white horse-nettle |
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Habit | Shrubs or small trees, erect, unarmed, 2–8 m, densely pubescent, hairs sessile to short-stalked, stellate to echinoid. | Herbs or shrubs, perennial, erect, rhizomatous, sparsely to densely armed, to 1 m, prickles orange to brown, straight, to 5 mm, densely silvery-pubescent, hairs sessile or subsessile, stellate, scalelike, 10–15-rayed, central ray shorter than lateral rays, lateral rays fused at center. |
Leaves | petiolate; petiole 1–10 cm; blade simple, elliptic to ovate, 10–25 × 3–15 cm, margins entire, base rounded or acute. |
petiolate; petiole 1–5 cm; blade simple, lanceolate to oblong, 5–15 × 0.5–3 cm, margins undulate, subentire to sinuate or shallowly lobed, lobe margins entire, base truncate to cuneate. |
Inflorescences | terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, much-branched, 10–50-flowered, 5–20 cm. |
extra-axillary, unbranched, 3–5(–7)-flowered, 3–5 cm. |
Pedicels | 0.2–0.6 cm in flower, erect and 0.4–10 cm in fruit. |
1–3 cm in flower, reflexed and 1–3 cm in fruit. |
Flowers | radially symmetric; calyx accrescent and subtending fruit, unarmed, 5–7 mm, densely pubescent, hairs stellate to echinoid, lobes broadly triangular; corolla white, stellate, 1–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers oblong, 2.5–3.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary tomentose, hairs stellate or echinoid. |
radially symmetric; calyx not accrescent, unarmed or with sparse prickles, 5–10 mm, densely silvery-stellate-pubescent, lobes linear-lanceolate; corolla pale to deep blue or violet, rarely white, pentagonal-stellate, 2–3(–3.5) cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers narrow and tapered, 6–9 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores; ovary glabrous to densely stellate-pubescent. |
Berries | yellow to orange, globose, 1–2 cm diam., densely pubescent, without sclerotic granules. |
yellow to orange, drying brown or black, globose, 0.5–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | yellowish brown, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
yellowish, flattened, 3–5 × 2–4 mm, minutely pitted. |
2n | = 24. |
= 24, 48, 72. |
Solanum erianthum |
Solanum elaeagnifolium |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Oct (year-round in Fla.). | Flowering Mar–Nov. |
Habitat | Hammocks, pinelands, disturbed sites. | Dry sites, open woods, disturbed areas, roadsides, railroads, fields. |
Elevation | 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.) | 0–2100 m. (0–6900 ft.) |
Distribution |
FL; TX; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; South America (Colombia) [Introduced in Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands (including the Galapagos Islands), Australia]
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AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; FL; GA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NE; NM; NV; OK; OR; SC; TN; TX; UT; WA; Mexico; West Indies; South America (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay) [Introduced elsewhere in South America (Colombia, Peru), Eurasia (Mediterranean, Middle East, India, Pakistan), Africa, Australia]
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Discussion | In the United States, Solanum erianthum is common only in central to southern Florida and in extreme southern Texas near the Gulf of Mexico. The name Solanum verbascifolium Linnaeus has been widely misapplied to S. erianthum (K. E. Roe 1968), but is a synonym of S. donianum that has now been rejected. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Solanum elaeagnifolium has a disjunct native distribution. It occurs in arid regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico and also in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. North American plants are diploid, whereas those in Argentina are diploid, tetraploid, or hexaploid. It is invasive and considered a noxious weed in 21 states in the flora area as well as in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is toxic to livestock and can form large, rhizomatous patches that are difficult to eradicate. A white-flowered form has been recognized as Solanum elaeagnifolium forma albiflorum Cockerell. (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 | ||
Name authority | D. Don: Prodr. Fl. Nepal., 96. (1825) | Cavanilles: Icon. 3: 22, plate 243. (1795) |
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