Annual herbs or short lived perennials, glabrate or puberulent with simple hairs; stems green or purple, 0.25-1 m tall. Leaves ovate, 4-8 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, membranous, apically acute, basally truncate to cuneate, entire or sparingly dentate, glabrate or sparsely pubescent on both sides; petiole 1-2 cm long. Inflorescences extra-axillary, subumbellate, 3-6(-l0)-flowered; peduncle 1-2.5 cm long; pedicel 5-10 mm long. Flowers with calyx 1.5-2 mm across, lobed nearly halfway, the lobes ovate, pubescent outside, ciliate; corolla white, sometimes with a yellow eye, 3-5 mm long, lobed halfway or more, the lobes ovate oblong, 3-4 mm long, pubescent outside, ciliate; filaments short, puberulent, anthers 1-1.5 mm long; ovary glabrous, style mostly pubescent. Berry shiny black, occasionally ripening green, globose, 5-8 mm across; fruiting pedicel erect or nodding; fruiting calyx strongly reflexed; seeds discoid, 1.5-2 mm across.

TAIPEI: Nankang, Wang 746; Tanshui, Peng 4506. ILAN: Tungao, Fen-niao-lin, Peng 15122. HSINCHU: Hengshan, Peng 13654. MIAOLI: Tong-shinu, Kao 5702. TAICHUNG: Taichung City, Yen 9372. NANTOU: Tungpu to Kuankao, Peng 8052; Keitou, Murata & Nishimura 39046. CHIAYI: Tungshi, Peng 6215; Auku, Liao 1691. TAINAN: Hsiaomeichin, Chen 20; Chiku, Wang & Yang 7972. KAOHSIUNG: Takangshan, D’Arcy 19269. PINGTUNG: Oluanpi, Lammers 8490. HUALIEN: Taroko Natl. Park, Peng 17037; Lienhuachih, Lu 23186.

Perhaps native of South America, widespread in all tropical and temperate regions. In some countries, the leaves are used as a vegetable. InTaiwan, in waste places, roadsides, fields; [100-2000 m.] Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

This species was long misunderstood as Solanum nigrum, but its small anthers, shiny, erect fruit and reflexed fruiting calyx distinguish it from that species.