SPECIES DESCRIPTION
SOLANUM ELAEAGNIFOLIUM
Family and Genus:- See- SOLANACEAE
Common Names:- Silver-leaved nightshade
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Solanum (L) Comforter, an ancient Latin used by the Roman naturalist
and philosopher Pliny.
Elaeagnifolium (L) With Elaeagnus-like leaves
General description:- Perennial with a deep-seated, creeping rhizome, whole
plant ± silvery-grey from a dense coverage of small, stellate hairs.
Stems:-
1) Erect, 30-60 cm tall, sparingly branched; thin, patent prickles usually present.
Leaves:-
1) 4-10(-16) x 1-2·5(-4) cm, linear- to oblong-lanceolate, obtuse to acute, rounded or
truncate at the base, margin entire or sinuate.
2) Petiole, 5-20 mm.
Flowers:-
1) Cyme, 1 to 5-flowered, solitary;
2) Peduncle, 5-20 mm. ±: recurved in fruit.
3) Calyx, 5-7 mm, slightly accrescent, patent, in fruit;
a) lobes, 2-4 mm, linear.
4) Corolla, 25-35(-40) mm Ć, orbicular, shallowly lobed, purplish.
5) Anthers, 7-9 mm, conspicuous, yellow.
Fruit:-
1) Berry, l0-20 mm Ć subglobose, rather dry, dull yellow when ripe.
Key features:-
1) Berry, l0-20 mm Ć subglobose, rather dry, dull yellow when ripe.
2) Lamina, oblong, entire or sinuate, ± silvery-grey.
Habitat:- Roadsides and wasteground, locally also invading open grassy habitats
and cultivated fields. 0-400(-700) m.
Distribution:- Originating from Central and South America. Cultivated for ornament
and occasionally naturalised in the E Mediterranean, including Cyprus. Limited
distribution on Crete mainly around the region of the central north coast. Introduced.
Flowering time:- Much of the year, but mainly May-Sept.
Photos by:- Yannis Zacharakis and Steve Lenton
Comment:-
Probably native of the S United States and Mexico, this species has become a
noxious weed in the Mediterranean area, temperate Australia and elsewhere. In
Greece it was first observed in the 1940s, in Thessaloniki, during the German
occupation of World War II, hence nicknamed “Germans”. The blame may rather
fall on the American Farm School, from where it appears to have unintentionally
introduced. It is now abundant especially in and around Thessaloniki, on roadsides
and vacant plots but also invading steppe-like habitats and uncultivated fields,
where it is difficult to eradicate due to its deep-seated rhizome. It has spread
rapidly along roads it is now certainly more common than indicated by the records.
1)
1) Extract from Arne Strid's book "Atlas of the Aegean Flora". Book 1, Page 544
