Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_2715.JPG-08-16-2019
Flower name (scientific): Solanum americanum Philip Miller PY: 1768. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) so-LAN-num a-mer-ih-KAY-num
Flower name (common): Black Nightshade
Family name (common): Potato
Family name (scientific): Solanaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the Latin solor, solari, solatus for soothe, ease, comfort. A possible reference to the narcotic character of some species. Also, an ancient Latin name used by Pliny the Elder.
    Specific epithet: From or of America.
Common name origin: From the shiny black berries. Nightshade is a compounding of night + shade. There may be an allusion to the berries and other parts of the plant being poisonous or narcotic. The name nightshade is applied to several plants in different genera.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: white
     Other: flower arrangement, Cluster-umbel
Plant description:
     Size: 6 to 24 inches (15 to 61 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to 10.5 cm long and 4.5 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, broadly lanceolate, ovate, oval, or oval-deltate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): June to October
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual
Habitat: Woodlands, thickets, disturbed areas, roadsides, waste areas, sun or semi-shade.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Solanum physalifolium (syn. Solanum sarrachoides ) (Hairy Nightshade) is similar, but has a limited geographic distribution in Wisconsin. S. physalifolium has fairly hairy stems and leaves, whereas S. americanum has stems that are hairless or sparsely hairy and leaves sparsely hairy.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude: 44.796088
Longitude: -91.501595
Altitude: 268.20
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym:
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FACU