Solanum nigrescens
Solanum sarrachoides
divine nightshade
viscid 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 0.5–3 cm;
blade simple, ovate to elliptic, 3–7.5 × 3–6 cm, margins entire to sinuate-dentate, base truncate to cordate.
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched, umbel-like to racemelike, (2–)5–10-flowered, 1–3.5 cm.
leaf-opposed or occasionally extra-axillary, unbranched, umbel-like, 2–5(–7)-flowered, 0.5–1.5 cm.
spreading and 0.5–1 cm in flower, spreading and 1–1.5 cm in fruit.
0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, spreading in flower, reflexed in fruit.
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 accrescent and nearly covering berry, unarmed, 2–3 mm, sparsely to moderately pubescent, lobes narrowly triangular;
corolla white with yellowish or greenish central star, rotate-stellate, 0.5–1 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, 1.2–2 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 pale green, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with 4–6 sclerotic granules.
tan, flattened, 1.2–1.5 × 1–1.1 mm, finely pitted.
pale yellow, flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, nearly smooth.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum nigrescens
Solanum sarrachoides
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.)
Many accounts of Solanum sarrachoides in North America actually refer either to S. nitidibaccatum or to a mixture of the two species. In North America, S. sarrachoides is much less widespread and common than S. nitidibaccatum.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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