Solanum viarum
Solanum deflexum
tropical soda apple
sonoita nightshade
petiolate;
petiole 3–6 cm;
blade simple, ovate to suborbiculate, 7–10(–20) × 6–8(–15) cm, margins coarsely lobed with 3–5 lobes per side, lobe margins entire to coarsely toothed, base truncate to cordate.
petiolate;
petiole 0.5–2 cm;
blade simple, elliptic to elliptic-ovoid, 1–4.5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, margins entire, base rounded to obtuse and often decurrent.
extra-axillary, sessile or nearly so, unbranched, 3–5-flowered.
nearly sessile, extra-axillary or subopposite leaves, unbranched, racemelike, 1–5-flowered.
0.7–1.1 cm in flower, 1–2 cm in fruit.
0.5–1.2 cm in flower, 1–2 mm and spreading or nodding in fruit.
radially symmetric;
calyx somewhat accrescent, unarmed or sparsely prickly, 3–4 mm, densely pubescent, lobes triangular;
corolla greenish or whitish, stellate, 1.5–2.5 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers narrow and tapered, 5.5–7(–10) mm, dehiscent by terminal pores;
ovary densely pubescent, hairs glandular and eglandular.
radially symmetric;
calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 3–9 mm, moderately to densely pubescent, lobes linear-lanceolate;
corolla white, rotate, 0.5–1 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue;
stamens equal;
anthers oblong, slightly tapered, 1.5–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits;
ovary glabrous.
light green mottled with dark green when young, yellow when ripe, globose, (1.5–)2–3 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
white to greenish and semitransparent, globose, 5–12 mm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules.
reddish brown, flattened, 2–3 × 2–2.5 mm, minutely pitted.
light brown, somewhat flattened, ca. 2.5 × 1.5 mm, notched where connected to placenta, ridged.
= 24.
Solanum viarum
Solanum deflexum
In the United States, Solanum viarum was first collected in Florida in 1988 and has subsequently become an aggressive and invasive species in the Southeast. It is on the Federal Noxious Weeds List and is classified as a noxious weed or plant pest in many states. Cattle and other animals eat the fruits and spread the seeds through their feces, and the seeds are coated with a sticky substance that makes them adhere to farm equipment when the plants are mowed. It can form large patches that are difficult to eradicate due to their extensive root systems and sharp prickles. It is a major agricultural pest and a threat to native ecosystems.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Solanum deflexum occurs sporadically in southeastern Arizona (Cochise, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz counties). It is unique in its fruits with explosive dehiscence. As the berries mature, they build up turgor pressure until they burst, propelling seeds up to several feet from the parent plant. Plants of S. deflexum were often identified as S. adscendens Sendtner (M. Nee 1989), a distinct species found only in South America (S. Stern et al. 2013).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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