Solanum sisymbriifolium

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 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, 4–11-flowered, 4–15 cm. Pedicels 0.5–1 cm in flower, 1.5–2.5 cm in fruit. Flowers 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 bright red, globose, 1–2 cm diam., glabrous to sparsely glandular-pubescent, juicy, without sclerotic granules. Seeds pale yellow, plump, 3–3.5 × 2–3 mm, minutely pitted. 2n = 24.

Phenology: Flowering Feb–Oct.
Habitat: Disturbed sites.
Elevation: 0–100 m.

Introduced; Ont., Ala., Ariz., Calif., Del., Fla., Ga., La., Mass., Miss., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Pa., S.C., Tex., Va., South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay), introduced also in Mexico, Central America (Costa Rica), nw South America, Europe, Asia (China, India), Africa.

Discussion

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa