Solanum chenopodioides

Herbs or shrubs, annual to short-lived perennial, erect or somewhat sprawling, unarmed, to 1 m, glabrescent to densely pubescent, hairs unbranched, to 1 mm, eglandular. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1–3 cm; blade simple, narrowly ovate to elliptic, 1.5–5(–7) × 0.5–3.5 cm, margins entire or sinuate, base cuneate to decurrent. Inflorescences extra-axillary or leaf-opposed, unbranched or rarely forked, umbel-like, 3–7(–10)-flowered, 1–3(–4) cm, fruiting peduncles sharply reflexed from base. Pedicels 0.5–1 cm in flower and fruit, reflexed downward in fruit. Flowers radially symmetric; calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2–3.5 mm, sparsely pubescent, lobes deltate, appressed in fruit; corolla white or purplish, with greenish, yel­lowish, or brown central star, stellate, 0.8–1.5 cm diam., with sparse interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers ellipsoidal, 2–3 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary glabrous. Berries dull purplish black, globose, 0.5–1 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. Seeds pale yellow, flattened, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering May–Oct (year-round in Fla.).
Habitat: Sandy soil, disturbed areas.
Elevation: 0–2000 m.

Distribution

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Introduced; Calif., Fla., Ga., Md., Mo., N.C., Wis., South America (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay), introduced also in Europe, Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Solanum chenopodioides has been introduced spo­rad­ically and is occasionally adventive in North America. It is distinctive in having the fruiting peduncles strongly re­flexed downward, but is otherwise difficult to dis­tinguish from S. pseudogracile, with which it may be conspecific.

The illegitimate superfluous name Solanum gracile Dunal has often been used for S. chenopodioides (for example, J. K. Small 1913; A. E. Radford et al. 1968). W. G. D’Arcy (1974) included S. gracile (and its replace­ment name S. ottonis) in the synonymy of S. nigrescens but the taxa are distinct.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.