Herbs or shrubs, perennial, erect, sparsely to moderately armed, to 1.2 m, prickles cream to yellowish, straight, to 6 mm, sparsely to densely pubescent, hairs white to cream, sessile to short-stalked, stellate, 4(–8)-rayed, central ray 1–3(–5)-celled and to 3 mm, longer than lateral rays. Leaves petiolate; petiole 0.4–4 cm; blade simple, ovate, lanceolate, or elliptic, 2–15 × 2–10 cm, margins subentire, sinuate, or lobed with 1–4 lobes per side, sometimes very deeply lobed almost to midrib, lobe margins entire to coarsely lobed, base cuneate. Inflorescences extra-axillary, unbranched or rarely forked, 2–12-flowered, 2–9 cm. Pedicels 0.5–1 cm in flower, 1.2–1.8 cm and curved downward in fruit. Flowers radially symmetric; calyx somewhat accrescent, unarmed or with sparse prickles, 5–8 mm, moderately stellate-pubescent, lobes lanceolate to elliptic-acuminate; corolla white to pale blue or violet, stellate to stellate-pentagonal or rotate-stellate, 2–3 cm diam., with inter­petalar tissue at margins and bases of lobes; stamens equal; anthers narrow and tapered, 4.5–6.5 mm, dehis­cent by terminal pores; ovary glabrous or sparsely to moderately glandular-puberulent, rarely moderately pubescent, hairs white, stellate or simple. Berries light green with darker green mottling or pale greenish white, turning bright yellow, subglobose to depressed-globose, 1–2 × 1–1.8 cm, glabrous, without sclerotic granules. Seeds yellow, flattened, 1.7–2.4 × 1.6–1.8 mm, minutely pitted. 2n = 24.

Distribution

North America, introduced in Europe, Asia, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Solanum carolinense var. carolinense, Solanum carolinense var. floridanum

Key

1	Leaf margins subentire, sinuate, or lobed, sinuses of lobes, when present, reaching less than 1/2 distance to midvein; apex of leaf lobes subacute to acute, sometimes rounded.	Solanum carolinense var. carolinense
1	Leaf margins deeply lobed, sinuses of lobes reaching more than 1/2 distance to midvein or almost to midvein; apex of leaf lobes typically rounded.	Solanum carolinense var. floridanum