Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_1191.JPG-07-17-2017
Flower name (scientific): Solanum dulcamara Linnaeus PY: 1753. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) so-LAN-num dull-kah-MAH-rah
Flower name (common): Bittersweet Nightshade
Family name (common): Nightshade
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 the Latin dulcis for sweet and amara for bitter, hence, bitter-sweet.
Common name origin: From the crushed leaves and roots having a sweet taste followed by an aftertaste of bitterness. Parts of the plant have a long history of being used for medicinal applications. 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
Flower description:
     Size: 0.4 to 0.6 inches (1.0 to 1.5 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: purple
     Other: flower arrangement, Panicle
Plant description:
     Size: 24 to 96 inches (61 to 244 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other: The red berries of this plant should not be eaten; they contain solanine, a glycoalkaloid poison.
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple and lobed
     Size: Leaves up to 10 cm long and up to 6 cm wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, triangular outline with 3 deep lobes, which are broadly ovate or cordate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Introduced, naturalized.
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): June to September
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Woods, forests, thickets, streambanks, marshes, disturbed areas, roadsides, waste areas, sun or semi-shade or shade, moist.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes.
Ethnobotany: No recorded uses by tribes in Wisconsin. The Delaware, Iroquois, Malecite, Micmac, and Nootka used this plant for a variety of ailments that included biliousness, nausea, sttomach and bowel issues (Moerman, pp. 534-535, 1998).
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Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (BC, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s):
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FAC
Wetland Status (MW): FAC