The Nightshade Family
What are they?
The Nightshade family is a rather strange family as it contains both some of the deadliest plants known to man (e.g. Deadly Nightshade) and some of our best known food plants such as Potato and Tomato. Most species have-petalled flowers with many forming attractive 'shooting star' shapes, while the seeds are often carried in a brightly-colored berry. Leaves are often strong-scented and plants are sometimes spiny. The members of the genus Datura differ in having the petals fused into a tube like a bindweed and having dry (often spiny) seed pods. In the genus Physalis, the berry is contained within a papery case.
Where are they found?
Many species are alien introductions, often as accidental seed contaminants of crop plants. As such, they tend to occur as weeds of waste and disturbed ground. Other species may be found in wetland or shady, damp sites.
Identification
Most species are distinctive and readily recognised by a combination of flower and leaf. However, a few species are a little more tricky and require closer attention to leaf hairiness and fruit structure.
NOTE
Many species of this family are poisonous; this is not a problem so long as the fruits are not eaten. Wash hands after handling these plants and before eating food.
Apple-of-Peru Nicandra physalodes
Introduced from South America. Occasionally established as a weed of farm fields and other disturbed places. Flowers July to October or later if the weather is mild.
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Long-leaved Ground-cherry Physalis longifolia
(Smooth Ground-cherry) Occasional in usually dry, often sandy locations in bare or disturbed field corners and waste places. Flowers July to September. Leaves narrow and more or less straight-edged.
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Clammy Ground-cherry Physalis heterophylla
A weedy plant of open, disturbed and waste ground, and roadsides. Flowers June to September. A very variable plant, but leaves usually shallowly toothed and whole plant has a slightly sticky, 'clammy' feel due to its glandular hairs.
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American Black Nightshade Solanum ptychanthum
(West Indian Nightshade) A widespread, weedy plant of disturbed, often shady ground, rough hedgelines and open woodland. Flowers June to October. A confusing plant as many books still list it as Solanum nigrum, a European species from which it is now considered a separate species.
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Hairy Nightshade Solanum sarrachoides
A scarce introduction which has been much confused with other nightshade species in the past. May occasionally be found on distrubed ground. Flowers June to October. Very similar to American Black Nightshade but whole plant is hairy and fruits are green when ripe, not black.
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Carolina Horsenettle Solanum carolinense
A weed of cultivated and disturbed ground, gardens and dunes, usually in dry, sandy sites. Flowers June to October. Rather variable but the spiny backs to the leaves identify it readily. Flowers may be mauve or fade almost to white. Berries start green (sometimes striped) and gradually turn bright yellow.
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| or white |
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of leaf |
to bright yellow |
Buffalo-bur Solanum rostratum
(Beaked or Buffalobur Nightshade) An occasional weed of cultivated and disturbed ground, gardens and grassy places. Flowers June to October.
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Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara
(Climbing Nightshade) Naturalized from Europe. Often wrongly called Deadly Nightshade which is a shrubby plant that produces the drug Atropine. A scrambling plant which may grow as a weed of waste places but most typically is found along the drier edges of reedbeds and other wetland areas. Flowers May to September. Berries start green and gradually turn through yellow and orange to rich scarlet.
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irregularly lobed |
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Tomato Solanum esculentum
A non-native species which is only likely to be found as a short-lived annual and may occur wherever household waste is dumped. Flowers May to October. The well-known garden fruit, which may be found with berries of many shades of green, yellow, orange or red.
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Duke of Argyll's Teaplant Lycium barbarum
(Matrimony Vine) Introduced, probably from Europe but originally native of Asia. Poorly documented in New Jersey and perhaps overlooked. Recently found in Cape May County in a grassy field edge at Cape May County Park South. Flowers July to September. The leaves on this species are slightly fleshy, allowing it to tolerate salt-air conditions close to the coast.
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Common Thorn-apple Datura stramonium
(Jimsonweed) A vigorous annual weed of farm fields and other cultivated areas. Flowers June to September. A well-known source of hallucinogenic narcotics. Flowers are typically white, each lasting a single night and are pollinated by moths. These are followed by distinctive, spiny seed pods which eventually dry and split open to release large numbers of black seeds. The variety tatula differs in having purple stems and pale mauve flowers and is the form most often found in Cape May. It was formerly considered to be a separate species.
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variety tatula |
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Sacred Thorn-apple Datura wrightii
Native to Southwestern USA and Mexico. Occasionally grown as a garden plant and readily self-seeds into neighboring areas. Flowers July to September or later in mild years. Identification features between this species and Indian-apple (Datura inoxia) seem unstable and some plants appear to be intermediate (perhaps hybrids?) between the two species.
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Hybrid Petunia Petunia x hybrida
A common garden annual which may occasionally be found where discarded in waste sites, but unlikely to thrive for long. Flowers June to September or later in mild weather. Flowers may be any color from white or pale yellowish-white through all shades of pink, red, purple and blue, or even bi-colored.
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in sticky hairs |