Eastern black nightshade
Common Name:
nightshade, eastern black
Scientific Name:
Solanum ptychanthum
Family:
Solanaceae
Lifecycle:
Annual, possible short-lived perennial
Features
Solitary leaves with general clammy-appearance as is characteristics of the Solanaceae family. Flowers solitary with five white petals and five yellow anthers. Fruit is a green berry maturing into a deep purple to black color. Berries are toxic if ingested.
Description
Difficult to differentiate from American black nightshade – Solanum americanum and there are some characteristics such as white specks on fruit that suggest that this sample is in fact S. americanum and not S. ptychanthum. Both species are very similar in habitat and distribution in North America.