Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum rostratum |
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earleaf nightshade |
buffalo berry, buffalo-bur, buffalobur nightshade, horned nightshade, spiny nightshade |
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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 to densely armed, to 1 m, prickles yellow, straight, to 12 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs sessile to long-stalked, stellate, 6–10-rayed, 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 2–10 cm; blade simple to twice-compound, ovate to elliptic, (2–)4–16 × 3–12 cm, margins lobed to 1–2 times divided with 2–4 main leaflets per side, leaflets with deep, rounded lobes, base truncate to subcordate. |
Inflorescences | terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, much-branched, 50–100-flowered, 5–24 cm. |
extra-axillary, unbranched, 5–12-flowered, 4–11 cm. |
Pedicels | erect and 0.2–0.5 cm in flower and fruit. |
0.5–1.5 cm in flower, erect and 0.5–1.5 cm 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 or bristly, 7.5–12.5 mm, densely stellate-pubescent, lobes linear to lanceolate; corolla yellow, rotate-pentagonal, 1.5–3.5 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue; stamens unequal, lowermost much longer and curved; anthers narrow and tapered, dehiscent by terminal pores, short anthers 4, yellow, 6–8 mm, longer anther reddish or purplish, 10–14 mm; ovary glabrous. |
Berries | yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., tomentose, without sclerotic granules. |
brown, globose, 1–1.2 cm diam., glabrous, dry, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | yellowish brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted. |
dark brown, flattened, 2–3 × 1.8–2 mm, minutely pitted and irregularly ridged. |
2n | = 24. |
= 24. |
Solanum mauritianum |
Solanum rostratum |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jul. | Flowering year-round. |
Habitat | Disturbed sites. | Disturbed sites, versatile in soil tolerance, roadsides, pasturelands. |
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] |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; BC; NB; NS; ON; QC; Mexico
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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 rostratum is widespread in the central Mexican highlands from Chihuahua and Coahuila to Puebla and Oaxaca, and its native range likely extends from Mexico City north to the United States Great Plains. It is widely introduced outside this presumed area of origin. Solanum rostratum is considered a noxious weed in several states. It is often invasive in gardens, pastures, and disturbed areas. The plants are extremely spiny, and there are reports of pigs being poisoned by eating the berries and roots. This species is thought to be the original host of the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) before potatoes were widely cultivated in the western and central United States. The beetle then adopted potatoes as its primary host and rapidly spread eastward. (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 | Androcera rostrata, S. heterandrum |
Name authority | Scopoli: Delic. Fl. Faun. Insubr. 3: 16, plate 8. (1788) | Dunal: Hist. Nat. Solanum, 234, plate 24. (1813) |
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