Solanum pseudocapsicum
Solanum bahamense
Jerusalem cherry, Jerusalem- or winter-cherry, Jerusalem-cherry nightshade
Bahama nightshade, Rugel's nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 0.2–1 cm;
blade simple, elliptic, 1–9 × 0.5–4.5 cm, margins entire, base acute to attenuate.
petiolate;
petiole 0.1–2.7 cm;
blade simple, narrowly elliptic, 2–21 × 0.5–5.5 cm, margins entire or shallowly lobed, base attenuate to rounded.
leaf-opposed, unbranched, 1–8-flowered, 0.2–1 cm.
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, usually unbranched, 30+-flowered, to 15 cm.
0.3–0.7 cm in flower, 0.8–1 cm and erect in fruit.
0.8–1.5 cm in flower, 1–2 cm and recurved to one side of the inflorescence in fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx somewhat accrescent, unarmed, 2.5–6 mm, glabrous to densely pubescent with dendritic hairs, lobes long-triangular;
corolla white, stellate, 1–1.5(–2.5) cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers oblong, 3–4 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1.5–2.5 mm, moderately stellate-pubescent, lobes triangular;
corolla white or violet, stellate, 1.5–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers narrow and tapered, 5.5–8 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores, anther tube densely stellate-pubescent within;
ovary glabrous or sparsely pubescent with short-glandular hairs.
yellow to orange or red, globose, 1–2 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
bright shiny red, globose, 0.5–0.7 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
yellowish, flattened with thickened margins, 3–4 × 2.5–3 mm, minutely pitted.
pale tan, flattened, 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum pseudocapsicum
Solanum bahamense
Solanum pseudocapsicum is native from Mexico to Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay. It is grown as an ornamental for its showy fruits, especially around Christmas. It occasionally escapes from cultivation in southern Florida and Texas. In Texas, it has become established and fairly common in Austin, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and in Goliad and Caldwell counties. Cultivated forms are usually glabrous, but some can have branched pubescence. The fruits are mildly poisonous when ingested by humans but can be highly toxic to dogs and some birds.
Solanum pseudocapsicum, along with S. diphyllum, has a distinctive leaf arrangement in which a longer, narrower leaf is paired with a shorter, often more rounded one.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solanum bahamense is morphologically variable, especially in leaf shape, hair morphology, prickle density, and corolla color. Using morphological and molecular data, R. Strickland-Constable et al. (2010) established that several formerly recognized taxa are encompassed within its range of variability and should be considered as synonyms of S. bahamense. It is unique among the North American spiny solanums in having stellate hairs on the inner (adaxial) surface of the anthers. Solanum bahamense occurs in southern Florida and the Keys and throughout the Caribbean.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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