The Solaiium as a Decorative Plant. 137 



The Ilorse Nettle (6'. Carol inettsc) of the Middle and Southern 

 States, although likely to become a troublesome weed, if not kept 

 within bounds, is a very pretty plant, growing a foot high, with large, 

 pricklv leaves. The flowers are large, showy, blue or white, and are 

 followed by orange berries. These tlu*ee comprise all our native 

 species, and of these, probably, S. Dulcamara and nigrum are natu- 

 ralized from Eui*ope. We have called S. nigru77i " Deadly Nightshade," 

 as it is with us popularlv so known ; but this name belongs properly 

 to an allied plant — Atropa Dclladonna — which is not indigenous to 

 America. 



S. esculcutitm and its varieties produce the fruit known in France 

 as Aubergines, or Brinjals. These are occasionally shown at our 

 horticultural exhibitions, usually marked, " For a name." They are oval, 

 about the size of a goose's ^^^^ and of a rich scarlet or purple color, 

 and full of seeds, embedded in a purple, agreeably-tasting pidp. 



The plant is tall, attaining a height of six feet, has large leaves, 

 small flowers, and, when in fruit, is very ornamental. Plants raised 

 from seed in spring, grown well during the summer, and protected 

 through the winter in the greenhouse, will flower and perfect fruit the 

 next summer. 



The Jerusalem Cherry {^S. pseudo-capsiciu7i) we have before taken 

 occasion to commend as a decorative plant. It is a native of Madeira, 

 and has been in cultivation nearly three centuries. In its native coun- 

 try it attains a height of four feet, but with us is usually grown as a 

 small, round-headed shrub, seldom more than two feet high. The 

 flowers are small, white, and inconspicuous ; but the berries, which 

 are orange-scarlet, freely produced about as large as a cherry, are very 

 ornamental. There is no prettier plant for the parlor or greenhouse 

 than this, when well grown. 



S. capsicastrum is a dwarf species, from nine inches to a foot high, 

 which produces berries freely, and is desirable. The variety with 

 variegated leaves is also very pretty. 



We now come to the species of more recent introduction, which the 

 rage for " foliaged plants " has brought into notice. Many of these 

 are noble objects when well grown, and are worthy of general cultiva- 



