Greasy or Santa Catalina or Wallace’s nightshade

Solanum xanti A. Gray var. wallacei A. Gray, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 91. 1876; S. umbelliferum Eschscholtz var. wallacei (A. Gray) D. J. Keil

Shrubs or small trees, erect to spreading, unarmed, 1–1.5(–3) m, densely pubescent, hairs transparent, unbranched, to ca. 3 mm, usually glandular. Leaves petiolate; petiole 1–2.5(–4) cm; blade simple, elliptic to obovate, 3–11(–14) × 1.6–5.5(–9) cm, margins entire or slightly undu­late, occasionally with 2 small lobes at base, lobe margins entire, base truncate or acute. Inflorescences terminal or lateral, leaf-opposed or extra-axillary, usually once-branched, occasionally more, 20–30-flowered, (2–)4–10 cm. Pedicels inserted into small sleeve on inflorescence axis, 1.5–2 cm in flower and fruit. Flowers radially symmetric; calyx not accrescent, unarmed, 6–7 mm, densely pubescent, lobes deltate; corolla violet to purple with or without green spots at base of lobes, spots usually small and not confluent, rotate, 3–4.5 cm diam., with abundant interpetalar tissue; stamens equal; anthers ellipsoidal, 4.5–5 mm, dehiscent by terminal pores that open into longitudinal slits; ovary glabrous. Berries shiny green, turning yellow then black, globose, 3–4 cm diam., glabrous, without sclerotic granules. Seeds reddish brown, plump to flattened, 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm, minutely pitted.

Flowering Mar–Aug. Chaparral, open areas, canyon bottoms; of conservation concern; 0–300 m; Calif.

Solanum wallacei is endemic to Santa Catalina Island.