Jamaican nightshade

Shrubs, erect to scandent, 1–2 m, moderately armed, prickles yellow to green, recurved, to 8 mm, moderately to densely white-pubescent, hairs short-stalked, stellate, 6–8-rayed, cen­tral ray shorter than or equal to lateral rays. Leaves petiolate or sessile; petiole to 1 cm; blade simple, rhombic, 4–13 × 3–8 cm, margins entire or with 2–5 shallow lobes per side, lobe margins entire, base cuneate and decurrent. Inflorescences extra-axillary, unbranched, 5–15-flowered, 1–3 cm. Pedicels 0.5–1 cm in flower, 1–1.5 cm in fruit. Flowers radially sym­metric; calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 2–7 mm, moderately to densely stellate-pubescent, hairs long-stalked, lobes linear; corolla white, stellate, 1–2 cm diam., without interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers narrow and tapered, 3.5–5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores; ovary glabrous to very sparsely glandular-puberulent. Berries bright shiny red to orange, globose, 0.4–1.2 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. Seeds yellow, flat­tened, 1–1.5 × 0.5–1 mm, minutely pitted and ridged. 2n = 24.

Flowering Jul–Sep. Lakesides, shaded hammocks; 0–10 m; introduced; Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela).

Solanum jamaicense is thought to have been spread to Florida by birds that eat the bright red berries. It was first seen in the state in 1930 and, although locally invasive in hammocks of central Florida, has not become a widespread pest.

SELECTED REFERENCE Diaz, R., W. A. Overholt, and K. Langeland. 2008. Jamaican nightshade (Solanum jamaicense): A threat to Florida’s hammocks. Invasive Pl. Sci. Managem. 1: 422–425.