Herbs, annual or perennial, erect or sprawling, unarmed, to 1 m, glabrescent to moderately pubescent, hairs unbranched, to 1 mm, usually eglandular or occasionally glandular. Leaves petiolate; petiole 0.5–3 cm; blade simple, ovate, 3.5–7 × 2.2–5 cm, margins entire to coarsely toothed with 3–5 lobes per side, base truncate to cuneate. Inflorescences extra-axillary, unbranched or occasionally forked, racemelike, (3–)4–10-flowered, 1–2 cm. Pedicels 0.5–1 cm, spreading to occasion­ally recurved in flower and fruit. Flowers radially sym­metric; calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 1.5–2 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate, spreading to reflexed in fruit; corolla white with yellowish central star, stellate, 1–1.5 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers ellipsoidal, (1.8–)2–2.5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary glabrous. Berries dull or slightly shiny purple-black or green to yellowish green, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. Seeds yel­low, flattened, 1.8–2 × 1.5–1.6 mm, minutely pitted. 2n = 72.

Phenology: Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, irrigated fields.
Elevation: 0–2200 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; B.C., N.S., Ont., Alaska, Calif., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Md., Mass., Mo., Mont., Nev., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Okla., Oreg., Pa., Tex., Utah, Va., Wash., Eurasia, n Africa, introduced also in Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Many regional floras have used Solanum nigrum as the name for various species in the black nightshade group, and it can be difficult to distinguish this species from S. emulans and S. nigrescens. Solanum nigrum can be distinguished from the native North American species of the black nightshade group (S. americanum, S. douglasii, S. emulans, S. interius, S. nigrescens) by its thicker peduncles and pedicels, larger seeds, and fruits lacking sclerotic granules. Solanum nigrum was probably introduced from northern Europe and has been locally naturalized in North America.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.