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cut-leaf nightshade, three flower nightshade

dwarf horsenettle, dwarf 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, perennial, erect, sparsely armed, to 0.2 m, prickles cream to yellowish, straight, to 3.5 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, hairs whitish, sessile, stellate, 4–8-rayed, central ray (1–)2–5-celled and longer than 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 0.2–1 cm;

blade simple, elliptic to obovate, 2.2–8.6 × 1.1–5.1 cm, margins entire, sinuate, or shallowly lobed with 2–6 lobes per side, lobe margins entire, base cuneate to attenuate.

Inflorescences

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

extra-axillary, unbranched, 1–4-flowered, 3–7 cm.

Pedicels

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

1–3.5 cm in flower and 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.

radially symmetric;

calyx not accrescent, unarmed or sparsely prickly, 6–7 mm, densely stellate-pubescent, lobes triangular;

corolla white, stellate to stellate-pentagonal, 1.8–3 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue at margins and base of lobes;

stamens equal;

anthers narrow and tapered, 6–7 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;

ovary glabrous.

Berries

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

unknown.

Seeds

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

unknown.

2n

= 24.

Solanum triflorum

Solanum pumilum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Sep. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Disturbed areas, roadsides, stream banks, along railroad tracks, prairie dog towns.
Elevation (0–)700–2900 m. ((0–)2300–9500 ft.) 80–200 m. (300–700 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
AL; GA
[BONAP county map]
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 pumilum is endemic to Ketona dolomite outcroppings near the Little Cahaba River in Bibb County and on amphibolite outcroppings near the Coosa River in Chilton and Coosa counties in Alabama. It was collected originally from Georgia in the 1830s from Baldwin and Muskogee counties.

(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. 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. 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
Synonyms S. hirsutum, S. carolinense var. hirsutum
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 128. (1818) Dunal in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle: Prodr. 13(1): 287. (1852)
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