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cut-leaf nightshade, three flower nightshade

sticky nightshade, viscid 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, sparsely to moderately armed, 1–1.5 m, prickles yellow, straight or curved, 1–15 mm, densely pubescent, hairs unbranched, glandular and stellate, sessile, 4–7-rayed, central ray glandular or eglandular, 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 2–5 cm;

blade simple to compound, broadly ovate, 8–15 × 3–8.5 cm, margins deeply lobed to divided with 4–7 lobes or leaflets per side, lobes or leaflets with rounded to acute lobes, base acute or cordate.

Inflorescences

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

extra-axillary, unbranched, 4–11-flowered, 4–15 cm.

Pedicels

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

0.5–1 cm in flower, 1.5–2.5 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.

radially symmetric;

calyx accrescent, moderately prickly, 6–9 mm, densely pubescent, hairs simple or sessile and stellate, glandular and eglandular, lobes subtending to almost completely and loosely covering fruit at maturity, deltate;

corolla white or pale blue, rotate-pentagonal, 2–3 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;

stamens equal or nearly so;

anthers narrow and tapered, 8–10 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;

ovary glabrous to sparsely glandular-pubescent.

Berries

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

bright red, globose, 1–2 cm diam., glabrous to sparsely glandular-pubescent, juicy, without sclerotic granules.

Seeds

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

pale yellow, plump, 3–3.5 × 2–3 mm, minutely pitted.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Solanum triflorum

Solanum sisymbriifolium

Phenology Flowering Apr–Sep. Flowering Feb–Oct.
Habitat Disturbed areas, roadsides, stream banks, along railroad tracks, prairie dog towns. Disturbed sites.
Elevation (0–)700–2900 m. ((0–)2300–9500 ft.) 0–100 m. (0–300 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; AZ; CA; DE; FL; GA; LA; MA; MS; NC; NJ; NY; PA; SC; TX; VA; ON; South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, Central America (Costa Rica), nw South America, Europe, Asia (China, India), Africa]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

The bright red fruits of Solanum sisymbriifolium are edible, and the plants are used in pest control and as a nematode and beetle trap in Europe and the United Kingdom; however, cultivation of this species should be discouraged due to its invasive potential. Reports of this species from Oregon are old; it is not naturalized there.

(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. setigeroides, 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) Lamarck: Tabl. Encycl. 2: 25. (1794) — (as sisymbrifolium)
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