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Jerusalem cherry, Jerusalem- or winter-cherry, Jerusalem-cherry nightshade

apple of sodom, bull nettle, Carolina horse-nettle, Carolina nightshade, devil's tomato, horse nettle

Habit Shrubs, erect, unarmed, to 1 m, glabrous to densely pubescent, hairs dendritically branched. Herbs or shrubs, perennial, erect, sparsely to moderately armed, to 1.2 m, prickles cream to yellowish, straight, to 6 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs white to cream, sessile to short-stalked, stellate, 4(–8)-rayed, central ray 1–3(–5)-celled and to 3 mm, longer than lateral rays.
Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 0.2–1 cm;

blade simple, elliptic, 1–9 × 0.5–4.5 cm, margins entire, base acute to attenuate.

petiolate;

petiole 0.4–4 cm;

blade simple, ovate, lanceolate, or elliptic, 2–15 × 2–10 cm, margins subentire, sinuate, or lobed with 1–4 lobes per side, sometimes very deeply lobed almost to midrib, lobe margins entire to coarsely lobed, base cuneate.

Inflorescences

leaf-opposed, unbranched, 1–8-flowered, 0.2–1 cm.

extra-axillary, unbranched or rarely forked, 2–12-flowered, 2–9 cm.

Pedicels

0.3–0.7 cm in flower, 0.8–1 cm and erect in fruit.

0.5–1 cm in flower, 1.2–1.8 cm and curved downward in fruit.

Flowers

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 somewhat accrescent, unarmed or with sparse prickles, 5–8 mm, moderately stellate-pubescent, lobes lanceolate to elliptic-acuminate;

corolla white to pale blue or violet, stellate to stellate-pentagonal or rotate-stellate, 2–3 cm diam., with interpetalar tissue at margins and bases of lobes;

stamens equal;

anthers narrow and tapered, 4.5–6.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;

ovary glabrous or sparsely to moderately glandular-puberulent, rarely moderately pubescent, hairs white, stellate or simple.

Berries

yellow to orange or red, globose, 1–2 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.

light green with darker green mottling or pale greenish white, turning bright yellow, subglobose to depressed-globose, 1–2 × 1–1.8 cm, glabrous, without sclerotic granules.

Seeds

yellowish, flattened with thickened margins, 3–4 × 2.5–3 mm, minutely pitted.

yellow, flattened, 1.7–2.4 × 1.6–1.8 mm, minutely pitted.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Solanum pseudocapsicum

Solanum carolinense

Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; TX; Mexico; Central America; South America; often escaped in tropical and subtropical countries worldwide [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America [Introduced in Europe, Asia, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaf margins subentire, sinuate, or lobed, sinuses of lobes, when present, reaching less than 1/2 distance to midvein; apex of leaf lobes subacute to acute, sometimes rounded.
var. carolinense
1. Leaf margins deeply lobed, sinuses of lobes reaching more than 1/2 distance to midvein or almost to midvein; apex of leaf lobes typically rounded.
var. floridanum
Source FNA vol. 14. FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Solanaceae > Solanum Solanaceae > Solanum
Sibling taxa
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. capsicoides, S. carolinense, S. chenopodioides, S. citrullifolium, S. cordicitum, S. davisense, S. deflexum, S. dimidiatum, S. diphyllum, S. donianum, S. douglasii, S. dulcamara, S. elaeagnifolium, S. emulans, S. erianthum, S. furcatum, S. hindsianum, S. interius, S. jamaicense, S. jamesii, S. laciniatum, S. lanceolatum, S. lumholtzianum, S. lycopersicum, S. marginatum, S. mauritianum, S. nigrescens, S. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. novomexicanum, S. perplexum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. setigeroides, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triflorum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. capsicoides, S. chenopodioides, S. citrullifolium, S. cordicitum, S. davisense, S. deflexum, S. dimidiatum, S. diphyllum, S. donianum, S. douglasii, S. dulcamara, S. elaeagnifolium, S. emulans, S. erianthum, S. furcatum, S. hindsianum, S. interius, S. jamaicense, S. jamesii, S. laciniatum, S. lanceolatum, S. lumholtzianum, S. lycopersicum, S. marginatum, S. mauritianum, S. nigrescens, S. nigrum, S. nitidibaccatum, S. novomexicanum, S. perplexum, S. pseudocapsicum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. setigeroides, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triflorum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
Subordinate taxa
S. carolinense var. carolinense, S. carolinense var. floridanum
Synonyms S. capsicastrum
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 184. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 187. (1753)
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