Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum davisense |
|
---|---|---|
earleaf nightshade |
Davis horsenettle |
|
Habit | Shrubs or small trees, erect, unarmed, 2–12 m, densely pubescent, hairs white, sessile to long-stalked, stellate to echinoid. | Herbs, annual, erect, moderately armed, 0.4–0.8 m, prickles whitish or yellowish, straight, needlelike, 3–15 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs unbranched, glandular and eglandular, abaxial leaf surfaces also with sessile, few-rayed, stellate hairs, central ray equal to or longer than lateral rays. |
Leaves | petiolate; petiole 1–8 cm; blade simple, elliptic to ovate, 11–31 × 4–14 cm, margins entire, base acute, often with smaller axillary leaves. |
petiolate; petiole 2–6 cm; blade simple to compound, broadly ovate, 5–10 × 2.5–8 cm, margins 2–3 times lobed or divided with 3–4 main leaflets per side, leaflets with acute lobes, base truncate. |
Inflorescences | terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, much-branched, 50–100-flowered, 5–24 cm. |
extra-axillary, unbranched, 5–9-flowered, 4–7 cm. |
Pedicels | erect and 0.2–0.5 cm in flower and fruit. |
1–1.5 cm in flower, 1–1.5 cm and erect in fruit. |
Flowers | radially symmetric; calyx slightly accrescent, unarmed, 4–7.5 mm, densely pubescent, lobes deltate; corolla purple, stellate-pentagonal, 1–1.5 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers oblong, 2–3.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary tomentose. |
bilaterally symmetric; calyx accrescent and tightly covering fruit, densely prickly, 3–5 mm, densely pubescent, lobes linear; corolla violet or blue, pentagonal-stellate, 1.4–2 cm diam., with interpetalar tissue at the margins and bases of lobes; stamens unequal, lowermost much longer and curved; anthers narrow and tapered, dehiscent by terminal pores, short anthers yellow, 4–5.5 mm, longer anther purplish, 5.5–8.5 mm; ovary glabrous. |
Berries | yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., tomentose, without sclerotic granules. |
brown, globose, 0.8–1 cm diam., glabrous, dry, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | yellowish brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted. |
dark brown, flattened, 2.6–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
2n | = 24. |
= 24. |
Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum davisense |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jul. | Flowering Jun–Sep. |
Habitat | Disturbed sites. | Igneous soils, sand or gravel streambeds. |
Elevation | 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) | 900–2100 m. (3000–6900 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; FL; South America (Brazil, Uruguay) [Introduced also in Asia (India), Africa, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia] |
TX; Mexico (Coahuila) |
Discussion | In Florida, Solanum mauritianum has become naturalized and common only at one site in Pasco County. It also occurs frequently in southern California from Santa Barbara south to San Diego with urban waifs in the Bay Area. It appears to be spreading into relatively undisturbed riparian areas in the San Gabriel Mountains and may become a widespread pest. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
In Texas, Solanum davisense is known only from the Chinati, Chisos, and Davis mountains. (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. auriculatum | |
Name authority | Scopoli: Delic. Fl. Faun. Insubr. 3: 16, plate 8. (1788) | Whalen: Wrightia 5: 234, fig. 35. (1976) |
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