Home | > | List of families | > | Solanaceae | > | Solanum | > | seaforthianum |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | Brazilian nightshade (English) Climbing nightshade (English) Potato creeper (English) St Vincent lilac (English) |
Frequency: | Common |
Status: | Introduced |
Description: |
Unarmed creeper or climber, to 7 m or more. Leaves: petiole 1-2.5 cm; lamina c.7 × 5 cm, elliptic to obovate in outline, variously dissected, but mainly pinnatifid to partly pinnate. Leaflets or lobes variable in size, the terminal the largest, ± elliptic, sparsely pubescent to glabrous; base cuneate; apex acuminate; margin entire. Flowers in a terminal branched cyme. Pedicels 1-1.5 cm, thickened below the flower. Calyx very shallowly lobed. Petals 8-12 mm, blue, mauve or purple; anthers yellow. Flowers 10-15 mm in diameter. Fruits 6-9 mm in diameter, spherical, red. |
Notes: | Introduced as a garden ornamental and commonly naturalised. |
Derivation of specific name: | seaforthianum: named after Lord Seaforth who sent a specimen to England from the West Indies. |
Habitat: | Widely naturalised and found climbing amongst shrubs and trees in woodland, often on anthills. |
Altitude range: (metres) | 840 - 1520 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | Native of Central and South America and the Caribbean area; widely naturalised in the tropics. |
Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
Growth form(s): | Climber. |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Images last updated: | Monday 21 April 2014 |
Literature: |
Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 864. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 33. Gonçalves, A.E. (2005). Solanaceae Flora Zambesiaca 8(4) Pages 79 - 81. (Includes a picture). Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 330. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 80. Pickering, H. & Roe, E. (2009). Wild Flowers of the Victoria Falls Area Helen Pickering, London Page 108. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 106. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 178. |
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