SOLANACE^E NIGHTSHADE FAMILY 



Solanum Dulcamara, L. 



Violet-purple Bitter Nightshade, Violet-bloom, 



Climbing Nightshade, Scarlet-berry, 



Berries red Dulcamara, Dogwood, 



Poison-flower, Bittersweet. 



May-September 



Solanum: name of unknown derivation. 

 Dulcamara: Latin form for bittersweet. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: along ditches in town, or in 

 damp, waste places. 



THE PLANT: climbing or straggling, two feet to eight feet 

 long; the stems woody below, with short, soft hairs or 

 practically without any. 



THE LEAVES: alternate; ovate or hastate; with short, soft 

 hairs; acute or tapering to a point at the apex; usually 

 somewhat heart-shaped at the base; petioled; rather vari- 

 able, some having a lobe on one side near the base, others 

 having three deep lobes or divisions, with much the 

 largest part at the end. 



THE FLOWERS: in compound cymes on one side of the stem, 

 drooping on slender pedicels; the corolla deeply five-cleft; 

 the lobes at first spreading, soon curved backwards, 

 triangular-laceolate, acuminate. The projecting yellow 

 cone at the base of which is a ring of black, encloses the 

 stamens. 



THE FRUIT: a berry, oval or globose, hanging or drooping 

 in small clusters, translucent, ruby-red when ripe. 



A really very decorative plant, with dark green, leaves, 

 which are usually lobed at the base, and dainty purple 



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