88 



be poured upon the roots to check new growth and in time kill the shrub. 

 Young plants may be readily handpulled. Older roots should be grubbed 

 out. 



THREE-FLOWERED NIGHTSHADE (Solanum triflorum Nutt.) 

 Nightshade or Potato Family. 



Common Names: This species is also called the spreading or prairie 

 nightshade, the cut-leaved nightshade, and wild tomato. 



Description: The three-flowered nightshade is a low spreading 

 annual, widely branching, sometimes forming a heavy flat mat from one 

 to two feet in diameter. The leaves are oblong, with seven to nine lobes. 

 The white flowers are arranged in groups of three. The berries are nearly 

 twice the size of the following species, being one-half inch, or more, in 

 diameter. They retain their green colour even when ripe. They are 

 usually in groups of three. The plant blooms from July to September. 



Distribution : This native plant is found as a garden weed in Eastern 

 Canada. It is becoming common on the prairies from Manitoba to 

 Alberta. 



Poisonous Properties: The poisonous principle of this species has 

 not yet been determined, but it is probably similar to the preceding. 

 Experiments carried on by Chesnut proved that the berries were poisonous 

 to guinea pigs. Chesnut and Wilcox say, ^'A single complaint of the 

 poisoning of cattle by the fruit was sent to this department from Nebraska, 

 and rabbits inoculated with the juice of the berries from that State were 

 badly poisoned." 



COMMON NIGHTSHADE (Solarium nigrum L.) Nightshade or 



Potato Family. 



Plate XXXV. 



Common Names: The common nightshade, equally well known as 

 the black nightshade, is also sometimes referred to as stubble-berry, 

 deadly, and garden nightshade. 



Description: The common nightshade is a low, nearly smooth, 

 much branched, and often spreading, annual plant from one to two feet 

 high. The stems are somewhat rough-angled. The leaves are oval, 

 tapering, two to four inches long, with few-toothed or wavy margins. 

 The flowers are small, white, star-shaped, in drooping clusters of two to 

 five. The berries are round, black when ripe. The plant blooms from 

 July to September, and in the middle of the summer it is quite a common 

 thing to find all stages of ripening fruit from pale green to black, as well 

 as freshly opened flowers, all on the same plant. 



