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cut-leaf nightshade, three flower nightshade

bristly 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, spreading, branching from near base, densely armed, 0.3–0.7 m, prickles straight, 4–8 mm, 30+ per cm of stem, sparsely pubescent, hairs ca. 0.2 mm, stipitate-glandular, abaxial leaf surfaces also with scattered, sessile, 4–6-rayed, stellate hairs, 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 2–7 cm;

blade simple to compound, broadly ovate to deltate, 4–11 × 4–8 cm, margins twice-lobed to twice-divided with 2–3 main leaflets per side, leaflets with obtuse or rounded lobes, base truncate.

Inflorescences

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

extra-axillary, unbranched, 5–9-flowered, 4–10 cm.

Pedicels

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

1–2 cm in flower, erect and 1–2 cm 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, densely prickly, 4.5–6.5 mm, sparsely glandular-pubescent, lobes lanceolate;

corolla violet or blue, pentagonal, 1–1.5 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;

stamens unequal, lowermost much longer and curved;

anthers narrow and tapered, dehiscent by terminal pores, short anthers 2–4 mm, longer anther 3.5–5 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, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted and weakly ridged or faceted.

2n

= 24.

Solanum triflorum

Solanum setigeroides

Phenology Flowering Apr–Sep. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Disturbed areas, roadsides, stream banks, along railroad tracks, prairie dog towns. Silty, sandy, or gravelly soils, playas, dunes, streambeds, arroyos, open hillsides.
Elevation (0–)700–2900 m. ((0–)2300–9500 ft.) 600–2000 m. (2000–6600 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
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua)
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 setigeroides is a weed of disturbed and overgrazed places ranging from central Arizona and New Mexico to extreme western Texas.

(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. pumilum, S. rostratum, S. sarrachoides, S. seaforthianum, S. sisymbriifolium, S. stoloniferum, S. tampicense, S. tenuipes, S. torvum, S. triflorum, S. triquetrum, S. umbelliferum, S. viarum, S. wallacei
Synonyms S. heterodoxum var. setigeroides
Name authority Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 128. (1818) (Whalen) S. R. Stern: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 8: 5. (2014)
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