Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum diphyllum |
|
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earleaf nightshade |
twinleaf nightshade, twoleaf nightshade |
|
Habit | Shrubs or small trees, erect, unarmed, 2–12 m, densely pubescent, hairs white, sessile to long-stalked, stellate to echinoid. | Shrubs, erect, unarmed, 1–2 m, glabrous or occasionally minutely puberulent, hairs white, unbranched, 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 0.2–0.5 cm; blade simple, elliptic, 0.9–6.8 × 0.6–2.2 cm, margins entire, base acute to attenuate or decurrent. |
Inflorescences | terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, much-branched, 50–100-flowered, 5–24 cm. |
leaf-opposed, unbranched, 5–20-flowered, 0.3–1.2 cm. |
Pedicels | erect and 0.2–0.5 cm in flower and fruit. |
ca. 0.5 cm in flower, ca. 1.2 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. |
radially symmetric; calyx somewhat accrescent, unarmed, 1.5–2 mm, glabrous, lobes deltoid; corolla white, often tinged with lavender, stellate, 0.7–1 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers oblong, 1.5–2 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary glabrous. |
Berries | yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., tomentose, without sclerotic granules. |
yellow to orange, globose, 0.7–1.2 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | yellowish brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted. |
pale yellow or tan, flattened, ca. 3 × 2.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
2n | = 24. |
= 24. |
Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum diphyllum |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jul. | Flowering year-round. |
Habitat | Disturbed sites. | Dry lowland areas, hammocks, disturbed sites. |
Elevation | 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA; FL; South America (Brazil, Uruguay) [Introduced also in Asia (India), Africa, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia] |
FL; Mexico; West Indies; Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua); South America (Brazil) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe (s France, Italy), Asia, Pacific Islands (Java, Philippines)]
|
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 diphyllum is often cultivated for its brightly colored fruits and can escape from cultivation in tropical and subtropical areas. It occurs sporadically and does not appear to be common, but in other areas where it has escaped it has become naturalized (Asia; S. Knapp 2002b). (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) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 184. (1753) |
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