Solanum nigrum
Solanum marginatum
black nightshade, European black nightshade
purple African nightshade, white-margined nightshade, white-margined or purple African nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 0.5–3 cm;
blade simple, ovate, 3.5–7 × 2.2–5 cm, margins entire to coarsely toothed with 3–5 lobes per side, base truncate to cuneate.
petiolate;
petiole 1.5–6 cm;
blade simple, ovate, 8–23 × 7–13 cm, margins coarsely lobed with 3–4 lobes per side, lobe margins entire to coarsely lobed, base cordate.
extra-axillary, unbranched or occasionally forked, racemelike, (3–)4–10-flowered, 1–2 cm.
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, occasionally sessile, unbranched or forked, 6–15(–30)-flowered, 3.5–8 cm.
0.5–1 cm, spreading to occasionally recurved in flower and fruit.
0.5–2 cm in flower, pendent and 2–3 cm in fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1.5–2 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate, spreading to reflexed in fruit;
corolla white with yellowish central star, stellate, 1–1.5 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, (1.8–)2–2.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
radially symmetric;
calyx accrescent and subtending fruit, sparsely to moderately armed, 7–15 mm, densely stellate-pubescent, lobes broadly deltate;
corolla white to pale purple, rotate-stellate, 2.5–4 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers narrow and tapered, 5.5–7 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
ovary moderately stellate-pubescent.
dull or slightly shiny purple-black or green to yellowish green, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
yellow, dark green mottled with white when young, globose, 3.5–4(–5) cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
yellow, flattened, 1.8–2 × 1.5–1.6 mm, minutely pitted.
light brown, flattened, 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted.
= 72.
= 24.
Solanum nigrum
Solanum marginatum
Many regional floras have used Solanum nigrum as the name for various species in the black nightshade group, and it can be difficult to distinguish this species from S. emulans and S. nigrescens. Solanum nigrum can be distinguished from the native North American species of the black nightshade group (S. americanum, S. douglasii, S. emulans, S. interius, S. nigrescens) by its thicker peduncles and pedicels, larger seeds, and fruits lacking sclerotic granules. Solanum nigrum was probably introduced from northern Europe and has been locally naturalized in North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solanum marginatum is naturalized along the central and southern coast of California, where it has been listed as a noxious weed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. There are few recent collections.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
