Solanum torvum
Solanum interius
bhankatiya, devil's fig, fausse aubergine, kausoni, prickly solanum, terongan, turkey berry
deadly nightshade, plains black nightshade, plains black or deadly nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 1–5 cm;
blade simple, ovate to elliptic, 7–23 × 4–14 cm, margins subentire to coarsely lobed with 3–4 lobes per side, lobe margins entire to coarsely lobed, base truncate to subcordate and asymmetrical.
petiolate;
petiole 0.5–3.5 cm;
blade simple, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4.5–11 × 2.5–7 cm, margins entire to sinuate-dentate, base cuneate to rounded or slightly decurrent.
extra-axillary, unbranched or branched, 10–20-flowered, to 6 cm.
extra-axillary, unbranched, (2–)3–8-flowered, 2.5–3.5 cm.
1–1.5 cm in flower, erect and 1.5–2.5 cm in fruit.
spreading in flower, recurved to reflexed in fruit, 0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx slightly accrescent, unarmed, 4–8 mm, sparsely to moderately pubescent with unbranched, gland-tipped hairs, lobes lanceolate;
corolla white, stellate, 2–3 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers narrow and tapered, 6–9 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
ovary glabrous or glandular-puberulent at apex.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2–5 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes lanceolate, sometimes reflexed in fruit;
corolla white, sometimes tinged with purple, with yellowish central star, stellate, 0.5–1 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers ellipsoidal, 1.8–2.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
green to yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
shiny purplish black, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, with 2–4 sclerotic granules.
light brown, flattened, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted.
yellowish to brown, flattened, 1.8–2 × 1.5–1.6 mm, finely reticulate.
= 24.
= 24.
Solanum torvum
Solanum interius
Solanum torvum is listed by the United States federal government and several states as a noxious weed. It is occasional to rare in peninsular Florida and could possibly become invasive elsewhere in subtropical climates. The green fruits are used in Asian and West Indian cuisine, often as an addition to soups and curries.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solanum interius is endemic to North America and is most common in the Great Plains and eastern Rocky Mountains. Distinctive characters are the basal flower with its pedicel articulated above the base and the very large seeds. In Texas, S. interius can be very difficult to distinguish from S. nigrescens, but S. interius usually has longer calyx lobes. Records of S. interius from Saskatchewan are actually S. emulans.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CalFlora
KS Wildflowers
PNW Herbaria
