Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum douglasii |
|
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earleaf nightshade |
Douglas' nightshade, greenspot nightshade |
|
Habit | Shrubs or small trees, erect, unarmed, 2–12 m, densely pubescent, hairs white, sessile to long-stalked, stellate to echinoid. | 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 1–8 cm; blade simple, elliptic to ovate, 11–31 × 4–14 cm, margins entire, base acute, often with smaller axillary 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 | terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, much-branched, 50–100-flowered, 5–24 cm. |
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched, racemelike, 2–7(–14)-flowered, 2–4 cm. |
Pedicels | erect and 0.2–0.5 cm in flower and fruit. |
0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, nodding or deflexed downward 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. |
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 | yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., tomentose, without sclerotic granules. |
dull purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with (2–)6–8 sclerotic granules per fruit. |
Seeds | yellowish brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted. |
pale yellow to tan, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, finely reticulate. |
2n | = 24. |
= 24. |
Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum douglasii |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jul. | Flowering Mar–Nov (nearly year-round in Calif.). |
Habitat | Disturbed sites. | Dry shrubland, woodland, rocky slopes, stream banks, canyons. |
Elevation | 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) | 0–2500 m. (0–8200 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; FL; South America (Brazil, Uruguay) [Introduced also in Asia (India), Africa, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia] |
AZ; CA; NM; TX; Mexico; West Indies (Guadeloupe); Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua)
|
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.) |
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. | FNA vol. 14. |
Parent taxa | Solanaceae > Solanum | Solanaceae > Solanum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. auriculatum | S. arizonicum |
Name authority | Scopoli: Delic. Fl. Faun. Insubr. 3: 16, plate 8. (1788) | Dunal in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 13(1): 48. (1852) |
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