Solanum nigrescens
Solanum emulans
divine nightshade
eastern black nightshade, eastern nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 0.5–2 cm;
blade simple, ovate to ovate-elliptic, 4–10.5 × 2–5 cm, margins entire or shallowly sinuate-dentate, base decurrent.
petiolate;
petiole 1–5 cm;
blade simple, ovate to elliptic, 4.5–10.5 × 2–6 cm, margins entire to sinuate-dentate, base attenuate to rounded.
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched, umbel-like to racemelike, (2–)5–10-flowered, 1–3.5 cm.
extra-axillary, unbranched, umbel-like, (2–)3–6-flowered, 1–2.5 cm.
spreading and 0.5–1 cm in flower, spreading and 1–1.5 cm in fruit.
straight and spreading in flower and recurved to reflexed in fruit, 0.5–1 cm.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1–2 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate;
corolla white, rarely purplish, often with green or purplish central star, stellate, 1–1.5 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, 2–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2–3 mm, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, lobes appressed in fruit, deltate;
corolla white, sometimes with yellow central star, rarely purplish, stellate, 0.5–1 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, 1–1.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
dull green or purplish, globose, 0.5–0.8 cm diam., glabrous, with (4–)5–6(–13) sclerotic granules.
dull or slightly shiny purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with 6–9 sclerotic granules per fruit.
tan, flattened, 1.2–1.5 × 1–1.1 mm, finely pitted.
yellowish, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, finely reticulate.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum nigrescens
Solanum emulans
Solanum nigrescens is widespread in Central and northern South America and the Caribbean and extends northward into the southeastern United States along the Gulf Coast and slightly inland. Where sympatric with S. americanum, it can be distinguished by its longer anthers and dull green or purplish berries with appressed to spreading calyx lobes. Plants collected as weeds in rice and sugarcane fields of Louisiana and provisionally identified as the Chinese species S. merrillianum T. N. Liou are somewhat intermediate between S. americanum and S. nigrescens and could represent recent hybrid populations (S. Knapp et al. 2019). Solanum nigrescens differs from S. douglasii in its shorter anthers and longer filaments relative to anther length; moreover, S. douglasii is usually found west of the Rocky Mountains, whereas S. nigrescens occurs in the southeastern United States. The ranges of S. nigrescens and S. interius overlap (for example, in Texas). Solanum nigrescens may be distinguished from S. interius by its usually acute calyx lobes, smaller seeds, and more numerous sclerotic granules in the fruits. Solanum nigrescens differs from S. nigrum in its more slender peduncles and pedicels, smaller seeds, and fruits with sclerotic granules.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solanum emulans has often been called S. ptychanthum Dunal (with the variant spelling ptycanthum), but that name is a synonym of S. americanum.
Solanum emulans is the most common species in the black nightshade group in northeastern North America. It can be distinguished from other North American species in the black nightshade group by its unbranched inflorescences, short anthers, appressed fruiting calyx lobes, and numerous sclerotic granules in the fruits.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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