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cut-leaf nightshade, three flower nightshade

valentine nightshade

Habit Herbs, annual, decumbent to prostrate, unarmed, to 0.4 m, fleshy, nearly glabrous to moderately pubescent, hairs unbranched, to 2 mm, eglandular, rarely glandular. Herbs, annual, erect, moderately armed, to 0.35 m, prickles whitish or yellowish, needlelike, to 5 mm, usually less than 20 per cm of stem, moderately pubescent with stipitate glands 0.5–1 mm mixed with sparse, unbranched, eglandular hairs 1–2 mm, abaxial leaf surfaces with sparse, sessile to short-stalked, stellate hairs, 2–4-rayed, central ray equal to lateral rays.
Leaves

petiolate;

petiole 0.5–2.5 cm;

blade simple, elliptic to oblong, 2–5 × 1–3 cm, margins shallowly lobed to deeply and regularly pinnatifid with 3–6 lobes per side, lobe margins entire or occasionally coarsely lobed, base cuneate and decurrent.

petiolate;

petiole 0.5–3 cm;

blade simple, ovate to elliptic, 3–8 × 1.5–4 cm, margins deeply lobed to pinnatifid with 3–4 lobes per side, these shallowly lobed, base obtuse.

Inflorescences

extra-axillary, unbranched, umbel-like, 1–6-flowered, 1–3 cm.

extra-axillary, unbranched, 5–8-flowered, 8–12 cm.

Pedicels

spreading and 0.5–1.5 cm in flower, reflexed and 0.5–1.5 cm in fruit.

0.4–1 cm in flower, 1–1.8 cm and erect in fruit.

Flowers

radially symmetric;

calyx accrescent and covering base of berry, unarmed, 2–4(–7) mm, moderately pubescent, lobes deltate, reflexed;

corolla white or light purple with green or purplish central star, stellate, 0.5–1 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal;

anthers narrowly ellipsoidal, 2.5–4 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;

ovary glabrous.

bilaterally symmetric;

calyx accrescent and tightly covering fruit, moderately prickly, 4–6 mm, moderately pubescent, lobes narrowly triangular;

corolla white, rotate-stellate, 2–2.5 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;

stamens unequal, lowermost much longer and curved;

anthers narrow and tapered, dehiscent by terminal pores, short anthers 5–6 mm, longer anther 9–11 mm;

ovary glabrous.

Berries

shiny dark green to purplish black, globose, 0.8–2 cm diam., glabrous, with 13–30 sclerotic granules.

brown, globose, 1–1.2 cm diam., glabrous, dry, without sclerotic granules.

Seeds

yellow, plump, 2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted.

dark brown, flattened, reniform, ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, reticulately ridged.

2n

= 24.

Solanum triflorum

Solanum cordicitum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Sep. Flowering Sep–Nov.
Habitat Disturbed areas, roadsides, stream banks, along railroad tracks, prairie dog towns. Open and disturbed areas.
Elevation (0–)700–2900 m. ((0–)2300–9500 ft.) 1300–1900 m. (4300–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; IA; ID; KS; MA; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; OK; OR; SD; TX; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; SK; South America (Argentina) [Introduced in Europe, Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
Discussion

Solanum triflorum is found in South America (Argentina) and is also considered to be native to central and western North America. It is occasionally adventive in the eastern United States. It is poisonous to livestock and can become a serious weed in cultivated fields, especially in the Great Plains.

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

Solanum cordicitum is currently known only from three collections from Jeff Davis County.

(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
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. pseudocapsicum, S. pseudogracile, S. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. setigeroides, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
S. americanum, S. aviculare, S. bahamense, S. campechiense, S. capsicoides, S. carolinense, S. chenopodioides, S. citrullifolium, 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
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 128. (1818) S. R. Stern: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 8: 2, figs. 1, 2. (2014)
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