Authors: C. Stace, R. van der Meijden (ed.) & I. de Kort (ed.)
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Scientific name:

Solanum nigrum

Vernacular name:

Nightshade, Black


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Lycopersicon esculentum - Tomato
Solanum nigrum subsp. nigrum

Black Nightshade

Scientific name: Solanum nigrum L.

Diagnostic features
Sparsely to densely pubescent, erect to decumbent annual to 70cm.
Leaves entire to coarsely dentate.
Flowers (3)5-10.
Corolla white.
Fruit black, rarely green, slightly depressed-globose, 6-10mm across.

This species is only keyed out in the Text Key by its subspecies.

Key to the subspecies:
a. Plant without gland-tipped hairs.
...................... Solanum nigrum nigrum.
b. Plant with many gland-tipped hairs.
...................... Solanum nigrum schultesii.

Hybrids
- Solanum x procurrens A.C. Leslie (= Solanum nigrum x Solanum physalifolium) occurs with the parents in cultivated ground in West Kent, West Suffolk, Cambs and Beds; it is intermediate in calyx characters and has black berries with 0-few seeds. Chromosome number: 2n=48; endemic.

Solanum nigrum (Nightshade, Black)
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Nightshade, Black
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