Solanum seaforthianum
Solanum bahamense
Brazilian nightshade
Bahama nightshade, Rugel's nightshade
petiolate;
petioles twining around supports, 1–4 cm;
blade simple to compound, elliptic to broadly ovate, (2–)3.5–10(–13) × (1–)2–9(–11) cm, margins entire to divided with up to 4 pairs of leaflets, leaflet margins entire, base truncate or slightly cordate.
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.
terminal, becoming lateral, extra-axillary, much-branched, to 100+-flowered, to 25+ cm.
extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, usually unbranched, 30+-flowered, to 15 cm.
inserted into small sleeve on inflorescence axis, 0.8–1.4 cm in flower and fruit.
0.8–1.5 cm in flower, 1–2 cm and recurved to one side of the inflorescence in fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, ca. 0.5 mm, nearly truncate, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on lobe tips;
corolla purple, stellate, 1–2.5 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue;
stamens unequal due to unequal filaments;
anthers ellipsoidal, 2–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
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.
bright shiny red, globose, 0.8–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
bright shiny red, globose, 0.5–0.7 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
pale yellowish tan, flattened, 4–4.5 × 2.5-3 mm, minutely pitted.
pale tan, flattened, 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.
or scrambling vines, woody, unarmed, to ca. 3 m, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, hairs white, unbranched, ca. 0.2 mm.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum seaforthianum
Solanum bahamense
Solanum seaforthianum is widely cultivated as an ornamental and sporadically escapes in Florida. A similar species with twining petioles, S. laxum Sprengel, is occasionally cultivated in California. It is distinguished from S. seaforthianum by having tufts of hairs in the vein axils of the abaxial leaf surfaces, white rather than violet corollas, and equal stamens.
(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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