NIGHTSHADE FAMILY SOLANACEAE 
BLACK NIGHTSHADE. COMMON NIGHTSHADE 
Solanum nigrum L. 
The berries of this plant have been considered poisonous 
and it is sometimes called the Deadly Nightshade, but a num- 
ber of years ago the berries of a variety that produces unusu- 
ally large fruits were sold 
on the market under the 
name Wonderberries. Also 
it is said that the Black 
Nightshade is frequently 
confused with Burbank’s 
New Sunberry, and its 
berries sold under that 
name for making pie and 
jam. It is probable, there- 
fore, that the berries of 
this Nightshade are not as 
poisonous as was formerly 
believed, at least not after 
cooking. 
The Black Nightshade 
is a very common annual in 
waste places and cultivated 
soil from Nova Scotia to the 
far northwest and south to 
Florida, Texas and Mexico. 
It is also widely distributed 
as a weed in many other 
countries and includes nu- 
merous races or varieties 
which differ in minor re- 
spects. The branched stems 
grow I-2 feet high. 
White flowers are pro- 
duced from July until the plant is killed by freezing weather. 
The calyx is much shorter than the corolla and persists at the 
base of the fruit. The filaments of the stamens are somewhat 
hairy and the anthers are obtuse. The ripe berries are black, 
smooth and nearly spherical, about three-eighths of an inch 
in diameter and on nodding peduncles. 
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