192 



FIELD AND WOODLAND PLANTS 



June to September, and is moderatel}' common in waste places, 

 espccialljf near houses. 



Tlie other three flowers of this order referred to are all known 

 as Nightshades, and two of them l)elong to the genus Solanum, in 



which the flowers are 

 arranged in few-flow- 

 ered terminal or lateral 

 cymes, on short stalks. 

 The corolla has scarce- 

 ly any tube, and the 

 flowers are easily dis- 

 tinguished by the 

 peculiar arrangement 

 of the five anthers, 

 wliich are on very 

 short filaments, and 

 are placed close against 

 the style in such a 

 manner as to form a 

 compact cone in the 

 centre of the flower. 



One species- — the 

 Black Nightshade {S. 

 n i g r u m) — is rather 

 local in its distribu- 

 tion, but often very 

 abundant where it 

 occurs, appearing as a 

 common weed on cul- 

 tivated soils. It is an 

 erect, spreading herb, 

 citlicr quite smooth or 

 slightly hairy, growing 

 from six inches to two 

 feet high. \\ ith swollen 

 angles on its branching stem. Its leaves are stalked, ovate, more 

 or less wavy, with large angular teeth ; and the small, white flowers 

 are on short lateral stalks. The fruit is a small, round, black or 

 scarlet berry. This species may be seen in flower from June almost 

 to the end of the year. 



The other species — the Woody Nightshade or Bittersweet 



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