Solanum nitidibaccatum
Solanum mauritianum
hairy nightshade, hoe nightshade
earleaf nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 0.5–3 cm;
blade simple, ovate to lanceolate, 2–10 × 1–5 cm, margins entire to sinuate-dentate, base cuneate to decurrent.
petiolate;
petiole 1–8 cm;
blade simple, elliptic to ovate, 11–31 × 4–14 cm, margins entire, base acute, often with smaller axillary leaves.
usually extra-axillary, occasionally leaf-opposed, unbranched, 4–8(–10)-flowered, 1–2 cm.
terminal, becoming leaf-opposed, much-branched, 50–100-flowered, 5–24 cm.
spreading to reflexed and 0.4–1 cm in flower and fruit.
erect and 0.2–0.5 cm in flower and fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx accrescent and covering ca. one-half berry, unarmed, 3–4 mm, sparsely to moderately pubescent, lobes broadly triangular;
corolla white with yellowish central star edged with reddish purple to dark brown, rotate-stellate, 0.5–1 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, 1–1.4 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
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.
shiny greenish to purplish brown, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with (0–)2–3 sclerotic granules.
yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., tomentose, without sclerotic granules.
yellow to brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.
yellowish brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum nitidibaccatum
Solanum mauritianum
Solanum nitidibaccatum has often been confused with and misidentified as S. sarrachoides, which has a much longer fruiting calyx that nearly covers the mature berry. Solanum nitidibaccatum also differs from S. sarrachoides in its smaller leaves, larger number of flowers per inflorescence (four to eight versus three or four in S. sarrachoides), and fruits with usually two or three sclerotic granules (versus four to six in S. sarrachoides).
Most references to Solanum sarrachoides in North American floras are actually S. nitidibaccatum. Solanum nitidibaccatum has also been confused with S. villosum Miller (R. L. McGregor 1986). J. M. Edmonds (1986) regarded S. nitidibaccatum as a variety of S. physalifolium, but the two taxa are now recognized as distinct species, with S. physalifolium restricted to South America. The name S. physalifolium, however, has been used for S. nitidibaccatum in a number of North American floras.
Solanum nitidibaccatum is currently considered to be native to both North and South America. It is a common weed in cultivated fields in the Great Plains, Pacific Northwest, and adjacent parts of Canada.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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.)
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