familySolanaceae
genusSolanum
speciesSolanum dulcamara

Solanum dulcamara

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 185. 1753.

Lynn Bohs1, 1The author wishes to acknowledge co-authorship with David M. Spooner† on S. jamesii and S. stoloniferum and with Sandra Knapp and Tiina Särkinen on the black nightshade species.
Common names: Woody or climbing or bitter nightshade bittersweet morelle douce-amère
WeedyIllustrated
Synonyms: Solanum dulcamara var. villosissimum Desvaux
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 14.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator:

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Vines, climbing or scrambling, herbaceous or woody, unarmed, to 8–10 m, sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs unbranched and/or dendritic, rarely gla­brous. Leaves petio­late; petiole 0.5–5 cm; blade simple, elliptic or ovate to cordate, 2.5–12 × 1.2–9 cm, margins entire to deeply pinnatifid and usually 3-lobed near base, lobe margins entire, base truncate to cordate. Inflorescences terminal or lateral, extra-axillary, much-branched, 7–40-flowered, (1–)4–15 cm. Pedicels inserted into a small sleeve on the inflorescence axis, 0.6–1.2 cm in flower and fruit. Flowers radially symmetric; calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1–2 mm, glabrous to densely pubescent, lobes triangular, shallow; corolla purple (rarely white), with green and white shiny spots at base of each lobe, deeply stellate, 1.5–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers oblong, slightly tapered, 4.5–6 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that often open into longitudinal slits; ovary glabrous. Berries bright shiny red, globose to ellipsoidal, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–1 cm, glabrous, without sclerotic granules. Seeds pale yellow or tan, flattened, 2–3 mm diam., minutely pitted. 2n = 24.


Phenology: Flowering May–Nov.
Habitat: Weedy, in a wide variety of habitats, often associated with water.
Elevation: 0–2000 m.

Distribution

B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Ala., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Tenn., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Eurasia.

Discussion

Solanum dulcamara is widely distributed across Eurasia and boreal North America. The North American populations are thought to be introductions, but it is possible that the species has a truly circum­boreal distribution. A white-flowered form has been recog­nized by some authors as S. dulcamara forma albiflorum House and an especially pubescent form as S. dulcamara var. villosissimum, but variation in a number of morphological features is continuous across the range of the species and these and other variants are not recognized in the latest monograph of the group (S. Knapp 2013).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
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Author
Lynn Bohs1 +  and 1The author wishes to acknowledge co-authorship with David M. Spooner† on S. jamesii and S. stoloniferum and with Sandra Knapp and Tiina Särkinen on the black nightshade species. +
Authority
Linnaeus +
Common name
Woody or climbing or bitter nightshade +, bittersweet +  and morelle douce-amère +
Distribution
B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Ala. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and Eurasia. +
Elevation
0–2000 m. +
Habitat
Weedy, in a wide variety of habitats, often associated with water. +
Illustration
Present +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Phenology
Flowering May–Nov. +
Publication title
Sp. Pl. +
Publication year
1753 +
Reference
None +
Special status
Weedy +  and Illustrated +
Synonyms
Solanum dulcamara var. villosissimum +
Taxon family
Solanaceae +
Taxon name
Solanum dulcamara +
Taxon parent
Solanum +
Taxon rank
species +
Volume
Volume 14 +