Solanum douglasii

Solanum douglasii is a species of plant in the family Solanaceae known by the common name greenspot nightshade.[1]

Solanum douglasii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species:
S. douglasii
Binomial name
Solanum douglasii

It is native to the northern half of Mexico and the southwestern south-central United States. Its habitat includes scrub and woodland.

Description

Solanum douglasii is a perennial herb or subshrub approaching two meters in maximum height. The stem is coated in short, white hairs. The leaves may be up to 9 centimeters long and have smooth or toothed edges.

The inflorescence is an umbel-shaped array of flowers with star-shaped white corollas up to a centimeter wide. There are generally green spots at the bases of the corolla lobes. The yellow anthers are a few millimeters in length. Flowers may be seen blooming throughout much of the year.[2]

The fruit is a spherical berry up to a centimeter wide.

Uses

Native Americans used the juice of the berries medicinally, and the Luiseño used it as dye for tattooing.[3]

References
  1. "Solanum douglasii". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  2. Jepson Manual Treatment
  3. Ethnobotany


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