Yellow-berried Nightshade

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• sticky nightshade
• viscid nightshade
• Red Buffalo-Bur
• dense-thorn bitter-apple
• wild tomato
• Dense Thorned Bitter Apple
• Dense-thorned Bitter Apple
• Litchi tomato
• fire-and-ice
• vila-vila

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Solanum sisymbriifolium var. oligospermum
• Solanum pilosum
• Solanum bipinnatifidum
• Solanum rogersii
• Solanum thouinii
• Solanum sisymbriifolium var. heracleifolium
• Solanum balbisii
• Solanum balbisii var. oligospermum
• Solanum balbisii var. bipinnata
• Solanum balbisii var. purpureum
• Solanum brancaefolium
• Solanum sisymbriifolium var. brevilobum
• Solanum sisymbriifolium var. bipinnatipartitum
• Solanum formosum
• Solanum sisymbriifolium f. albiflorum
• Solanum inflatum
• Solanum opuliflorum
• Solanum sabeanum
• Solanum sisymbriifolium f. lilacinum
• Solanum sisymbriifolium var. gracile
• Solanum sisymbriifolium var. macrocarpum
• Solanum subviscidum
• Solanum viscidum
• Solanum xanthacanthum

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Solanales and the family Solanaceae, it is classified under the genus Solanum. Specifically, its taxonomic identity is defined as Solanum sisymbriifolium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse presence across several key regions of the European continent. In Northern Europe, its range extends through the territories of Great Britain and Ireland. Moving toward the center of the continent, it can be found within the borders of Belgium and Germany. Its distribution also reaches into Southwestern Europe, specifically within France. Together, these locations define the specific geographical footprint of this medicinal species.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Solanum sisymbriifolium is characterized by a broad altitudinal distribution, spanning from sea level up to an elevation of 2900 m AMSL. This species typically thrives in disturbed or transitional environments, frequently colonizing open habitats and roadside areas where sunlight availability is high.

Elevational range max:

2900 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

(?) open, roadside

Life history

The life history of Solanum sisymbriifolium is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire developmental process from germination to seed production within a single growing season. In terms of its ecological strategy and growth habit, the plant is classified as a therophyte, surviving unfavorable periods as a seed before emerging to occupy its niche. Furthermore, its structural classification identifies it as a phanerophyte, a trait that relates to the positioning of its buds and reproductive organs above the soil surface during its active growth phase.

Life form :

phanerophyte

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Solanum sisymbriifolium is characterized by a non-woody growth form, functioning primarily as a herb or a forb. This species is a self-supporting plant, lacking any climbing or vine-like tendencies, and does not act as an obligate or facultative climber. In terms of its life habit, it is an independent organism that is neither a parasite nor an epiphyte, maintaining a strictly terrestrial existence rather than being aquatic or semiaquatic. The plant typically exhibits a stature ranging from a minimum height of 0.3 m to a maximum height of 1.5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.5 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Solanum sisymbriifolium is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency. The leaf morphology displays significant variability, reflecting diverse developmental stages or environmental adaptations. The leaves exhibit a mean length of 7.25 cm, with individual specimens ranging from a minimum of 4.5 cm to a maximum of 18 cm. Correspondingly, the leaf width shows a mean value of 6.075 cm, fluctuating between a minimum width of 2.5 cm and a maximum width of 8 cm. This range in leaf dimensions, coupled with its specific photosynthetic mechanism, defines the plant's physiological capacity for energy production and gas exchange.

Leaf length max:

18 cm

Leaf length mean:

7.25 cm

Leaf length min:

4.5 cm

Leaf width max:

8 cm

Leaf width mean:

6.075 cm

Leaf width min:

2.5 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Solanum sisymbriifolium is characterized by the production of fleshy fruits that serve as the primary vehicle for offspring distribution. These fruits exhibit a consistent morphology, with a mean length and width of 1.75 cm, though they can reach a maximum dimension of 2 cm in both length and width, maintaining a minimum threshold of 2 cm for these specific measurements. The dispersal strategy of the plant is primarily zoochorous, specifically utilizing an endozoochorous syndrome, where seeds are ingested and dispersed through the digestive tracts of animals. The seeds themselves are remarkably uniform in their physical properties, possessing a constant seed mass of 0.00265 g (both minimum and maximum) and a consistent seed volume of 2.5 mm³ across minimum, mean, and maximum recorded values. This combination of fleshy fruit tissue and specialized animal-mediated dispersal ensures the effective propagation of the species within its habitat.

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

2 cm

Fruit length mean:

1.75 cm

Fruit width max:

2 cm

Fruit width mean:

1.75 cm

Seed mass mean:

0.00265 g

Seed volume max:

2.5 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Solanum sisymbriifolium has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Cilistol a, solasodine.

Cilistol a

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

solasodine

1. Indian journal of experimental biology

Conditions

Solanum sisymbriifolium has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include hypotension.

Hypotension

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Solanum sisymbriifolium has 1 reported preparations identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Chloroform fraction.

Chloroform fraction

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM