314 NIGHTSHADE FAMILY. 



* * More or less prickly herbs, with acute elongated-lanceolate anthers. 

 *- Very prickly calyx inclosing the dry berry ; anthers declined, unequal, 

 one of them much longer than the rest j leaves sinuately once to thrice 

 pinnatiftd. 



B. rostritum, Dunal. Wild on plains W. of Mississippi, and becom- 

 ing a weed in some gardens ; has yellow flowers, !'-!' in diameter. 



*- - Calyx mostly somewhat prickly but not inclosing the fruit ; anthers 

 nearly equal. 



S. Carolin^nse, Linn. HORSE NETTLE. Roughish-downy, 1 high, 

 with ovate-oblong, angled or sinuate-lobed leaves, yellowish prickles, and 

 pale blue or white flowers almost 1' wide. Weed in sandy soil, from 

 Conn., S. y. 



S. acu/eatissimum, Jacq. Weed introduced into waste places, N. Car., 

 S., l-2 high, bristly hairy, greener and more prickly than the foregoing, 

 with smaller white flowers. Tropics. 



S. Melongena, Linn. EGGPLANT, AUBERGINE, GUINEA SQUASH. Cult, 

 for the large oblong or ovate violet-colored or white esculent fruit (2'-12' 

 long) ; leaves ovate, rather downy, obscurely sinuate ; corolla violet with 

 yellow eye. The common cult, form is var. ESCULENTUM. The Early 

 Dwarf Purple Egg Plant and its allies, distinguished by diffuse habit, 

 fewer prickles, small flowers, and early pear-shaped fruits, is var. DE- 

 PRESSUM. India. (D 



S. integrifolium, Poir. (S. coccfNEUM of gardens). CHINESE SCARLET 

 EGGPLANT. Tall prickly herb, with sinuate-notched or -lobed leaves 

 bearing strong yellow spines on the midrib below ; flowers small and 

 white, in clusters of 2-6, followed by red or yellow lobed or angled, in- 

 edible fruits, l'-2' across. Probably African. 



3. CAPSICUM, CAYENNE or BED PEPPER. (Name obscure.) 

 Tropics. 



C. dnnuum, Linn. COMMON C. or CHILE PEPPER. Cult, for the large 

 oblong or globular and often angled dry berry (red or green), which is 

 exceedingly pungent, and used as a condiment; leaves ovate, entire; 

 flowers white, with truncate calyx. Many diverse forms. 



4. FHYSALIS, GROUND CHERRY, HUSK or STRAWBERRY 

 TOMATO. (Greek : bladdery, from the inflated fruiting calyx.) 



* 2/ Low stems (6'-20 f high} from slender creeping rootstocks; anthers 



yellow ; fruiting calyx loosely inflated, 5-angled, much larger than the 



edible berry. 



P. Alkekengi, Linn. STRAWBERRY TOMATO. Cult, from S. Eu., and 

 running wild E. ; rather downy ; leaves triangular-ovate, pointed ; corolla 

 greenish- white, 5-lobed, not spotted ; large fruiting calyx ovate, turning 

 brilliant red ; berry red. 



P. lanceolata, Michx. Pubescent, or somewhat hairy, but not clammy ; 

 leaves varying from ovate to lanceolate, entire or sparingly wavy-toothed ; 

 corolla yellowish with a darker throat and slightly 5-10-toothed border ; 

 fruiting calyx sunken at the base, hirsute ; berry red. Pa., W. and S. 



P. viscdsa, Linn. , but not viscous; white-pubescent; stems ascend- 

 ing or spreading ; leaves ovate or oval, or sometimes obovate, undulate 

 or entire ; corolla greenish -yellow, with a darker eye ; calyx globose- 

 ovate in fruit ; berry yellow or orange. Near the coast, Va., S. 



P. Virginiana, Mill. Widely spreading and viscid; leaves ovate or 

 oblong, repand or obtusely toothed or rarely entire ; corolla about 1' 

 broad, 5-10-toothed, sulphur-yellow with a brown eye ; fruiting calyx 

 Strongly 5-angled ; berry yellow. Can., S. 



