Solanum torvum |
Solanum wallacei |
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bhankatiya, devil's fig, fausse aubergine, kausoni, prickly solanum, terongan, turkey berry |
Catalina nightshade, greasy or Santa Catalina or Wallace's nightshade, northern island nightshade, Wallace's nightshade |
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Habit | Shrubs or trees, erect, sparsely to moderately armed, 1–4 m, prickles brownish, straight to recurved, 3–7 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs sessile to short-stalked, stellate, 4–8-rayed, central ray shorter than or equal to lateral rays, moderately pubescent with unbranched, glandular hairs on inflorescences and calyces. | Shrubs or small trees, erect to spreading, unarmed, 1–1.5(–3) m, densely pubescent, hairs transparent, unbranched, to ca. 3 mm, usually glandular. |
Leaves | 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 1–2.5(–4) cm; blade simple, elliptic to obovate, 3–11(–14) × 1.6–5.5(–9) cm, margins entire or slightly undulate, occasionally with 2 small lobes at base, lobe margins entire, base truncate or acute. |
Inflorescences | extra-axillary, unbranched or branched, 10–20-flowered, to 6 cm. |
terminal or lateral, leaf-opposed or extra-axillary, usually once-branched, occasionally more, 20–30-flowered, (2–)4–10 cm. |
Pedicels | 1–1.5 cm in flower, erect and 1.5–2.5 cm in fruit. |
inserted into small sleeve on inflorescence axis, 1.5–2 cm in flower and fruit. |
Flowers | 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, 6–7 mm, densely pubescent, lobes deltate; corolla violet to purple with or without green spots at base of lobes, spots usually small and not confluent, rotate, 3–4.5 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers ellipsoidal, 4.5–5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary glabrous. |
Berries | green to yellow, globose, 1–1.5 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
shiny green, turning yellow then black, globose, 3–4 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. |
Seeds | light brown, flattened, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
reddish brown, plump to flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted. |
2n | = 24. |
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Solanum torvum |
Solanum wallacei |
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Phenology | Flowering year-round in frost-free areas. | Flowering Mar–Aug. |
Habitat | Disturbed sites. | Chaparral, open areas, canyon bottoms. |
Elevation | 0–10 m. (0–0 ft.) | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) |
Distribution |
AL; FL; Mexico; Central America; West Indies; South America (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela) [Introduced in Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia]
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CA
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Discussion | 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 wallacei is endemic to Santa Catalina Island. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 14. | FNA vol. 14. |
Parent taxa | Solanaceae > Solanum | Solanaceae > Solanum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. xanti var. wallacei, S. umbelliferum var. wallacei | |
Name authority | Swartz: Prodr., 47. (1788) — name proposed for conservation | (A. Gray) Parish: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 2: 166. (1901) |
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