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earleaf nightshade

kangaroo-apple

Habit Shrubs or small trees, erect, unarmed, 2–12 m, densely pubescent, hairs white, sessile to long-stalked, stellate to echinoid. Shrubs, erect, unarmed, 1–3 m, glabrous.
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 1–1.5 cm;

blade simple, elliptic, 10–30 × 1.5–15 cm, margins entire to coarsely pinnatifid with 1–3 lobes per side, lobe margins entire, base cuneate.

Inflorescences

terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, much-branched, 50–100-flowered, 5–24 cm.

leaf-opposed or in branch forks, unbranched or forked, to 10-flowered, 5–15 cm.

Pedicels

erect and 0.2–0.5 cm in flower and fruit.

1.5–3 cm in flower and 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, 3–4 mm, glabrous, lobes deltate;

corolla blue to deep purple, rotate-stellate, 3–5 cm diam., lobes notched at apex, with abundant interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal;

anthers oblong, slightly tapered, 3–4 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that sometimes open into longitudinal slits;

ovary glabrous.

Berries

yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., tomentose, without sclerotic granules.

yellow to orange-yellow, ovoid to obovoid, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 cm, glabrous, with abundant sclerotic granules.

Seeds

yellowish brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.

reddish brown, flattened, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, concentrically reticulate.

2n

= 24.

= 92.

Solanum mauritianum

Solanum laciniatum

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jul. Flowering Jan–Jul.
Habitat Disturbed sites. Open, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–500 m. (0–1600 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; FL; South America (Brazil, Uruguay) [Introduced also in Asia (India), Africa, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia [Introduced in North America]
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 laciniatum has often been confused with S. aviculare in floras. See discussion under 2. S. aviculare.

(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
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. capsicoides, S. carolinense, S. chenopodioides, S. citrullifolium, S. cordicitum, S. davisense, S. deflexum, S. dimidiatum, S. diphyllum, S. donianum, S. douglasii, S. dulcamara, S. elaeagnifolium, S. emulans, S. erianthum, S. furcatum, S. hindsianum, S. interius, S. jamaicense, S. jamesii, S. laciniatum, S. lanceolatum, S. lumholtzianum, S. lycopersicum, S. marginatum, S. nigrescens, S. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. novomexicanum, S. perplexum, S. pseudocapsicum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. setigeroides, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triflorum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. capsicoides, S. carolinense, S. chenopodioides, S. citrullifolium, S. cordicitum, S. davisense, S. deflexum, S. dimidiatum, S. diphyllum, S. donianum, S. douglasii, S. dulcamara, S. elaeagnifolium, S. emulans, S. erianthum, S. furcatum, S. hindsianum, S. interius, S. jamaicense, S. jamesii, S. lanceolatum, S. lumholtzianum, S. lycopersicum, S. marginatum, S. mauritianum, S. nigrescens, S. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. novomexicanum, S. perplexum, S. pseudocapsicum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. setigeroides, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triflorum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
Synonyms S. auriculatum
Name authority Scopoli: Delic. Fl. Faun. Insubr. 3: 16, plate 8. (1788) Aiton: Hort. Kew. 1: 247. (1789)
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