Solanum nitidibaccatum
Solanum stoloniferum
hairy nightshade, hoe nightshade
Fendler wild potato, Fendler's horsenettle, wild potato
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 1.5–4 cm, with pair of entire lunate pseudostipules at base;
blade compound, elliptic to ovate, 7.5–20 × 3.5–8 cm, margins divided with 1–4 pairs of leaflets, these sometimes interspersed with smaller, interjected leaflets, lowermost leaflets sometimes greatly reduced in size, leaflet margins entire, base cuneate to cordate.
usually extra-axillary, occasionally leaf-opposed, unbranched, 4–8(–10)-flowered, 1–2 cm.
terminal, extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, generally forked or 3-fid, 3–26-flowered, to 10 cm.
spreading to reflexed and 0.4–1 cm in flower and fruit.
articulated near middle, 1.1–3.7 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 not accrescent, unarmed, 4–8 mm, lobes deltate-acuminate;
corolla purple, blue, pale pink, or rarely white, pentagonal to rotate, 1.8–3.3 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers oblong, slightly tapered, 3.5–6.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
shiny greenish to purplish brown, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, with (0–)2–3 sclerotic granules.
green, sometimes with dark green stripes or white spots, globose or slightly ovoid, 0.9–1.7 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
yellow to brown, flattened, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, minutely pitted.
greenish white, rounded, 1–2 mm diam., rugose.
= 24.
= 48.
Solanum nitidibaccatum
Solanum stoloniferum
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.)
Solanum stoloniferum is widespread in highland Mexico. Its northern range extends into New Mexico, southeastern Arizona, and southwestern Texas. It is one of the most common and polymorphic species of wild potatoes in North America and Mexico.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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